Tips To Avoid Irreversible Damage: How To Winterize Your Vehicle
Are you someone who lives on the edge? Always taking chances? Like running on tires with little or no tread? Running in below zero temps with less than a 1/2 tank of gas?
Taking chances like this can cause irreversible damage to your vehicle. Maybe you don't really know much about cars. That's okay! Today is your lucky day. If you managed to get your car started this morning or not; these tips can save your vehicle from irreversible damage from owner neglect.
CHECK YOUR BATTERY
You need to replace your battery every 3 years. Check your battery before cold weather hits, by looking for signs of corrosion. It's best to check all of this out before the cold weather hits but better late than never.
WINTER TIRES ARE BETTER
If you have the funds, I've heard that having winter tires is way better than having all season tires if you can afford it, and if you have somewhere to store your other tires for the winter months. they DO grip better and really help out in icy conditions. You'll never know how bad you needed winter tires until they day comes and you slid right through a stoplight.
TIRE PRESSURE MAINTENANCE
I know it can be hard to check your tire pressure when it's freezing cold outside, but if you have any doubts that your tires may not be properly inflated, it's better to find out at home rather than venture out into bad weather and have a breakdown or a blowout. Both can cause damage to your vehicle as well as cause accidents and hurt others.
DID YOU KNOW THEY MAKE WINTER WIPER BLADES?
I actually didn't realize there was a difference, but there is. You can get winter weather wiper blades; they are created to withstand the terrible low temps and keep snow and ice from building up on them. HMM! You learn something new everyday. This is something I can afford. If you don't know how to put on wiper blades, I'm sure your local favorite trusted dealer will help put them on for you.
HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR FLUIDS LATELY?
- Check your windshield washer fluid. It would be a good idea to replace it with a winter formula. Winter blends use a greater ratio of alcohol-to-water and they are less likely to freeze. Who knew!
- Refill your anti-freeze...If you are not sure how to do this, bring it to your dealer as they will make sure not to mix colors. It's also a really good idea to have it flushed if it hasn’t been changed in a few years.
- Check your oil and consider changing to a cool-temp formulation with lower viscosity for better winter performance. Again....if you are really car savvy, these are all questions that your local service shop can help you with.