The Best Ways To Winterize Your Car

The Best Ways To Winterize Your Car

With winter weather bringing snow, ice, and frigid temperatures to our area, it’s important to get your car ready for the chilly season. Not doing so can leave you stranded or in need of a repair.

Check Your Tires

Checking your tires for proper air pressure and tread depth is one of the most important ways to keep yourself safe on the road. Underinflated tires can cause excessive wear, create excessive heat, increase fuel consumption, and make your vehicle less controllable on the road. Underinflated tires are also more likely to blow out, so it’s critical to make sure that you always have the correct tire pressure for your car and that you check it regularly, especially during winter conditions. You can check your tire pressure with a simple, inexpensive gauge that you can find at a local tire shop or for free at the gas station. To use it, remove the end cap from the valve stem, place the gauge head evenly onto the valve stem and press down quickly and firmly until the hissing sound stops. Compare the reading to the recommended air pressure for your tires.

Check Your Windshield

Whether you drive a brand new car or an older model, your windshield is an essential safety feature. It provides structural integrity to your vehicle so that passengers can avoid being crushed in a rollover accident. Windshields should always be checked regularly for cracks, chips, water leaks, wavy glass or rattles in the frame. If you notice any issues, they should be fixed quickly. When replacing your windshield, be sure to get a glass that is a perfect match for your car. This is important because it helps ensure that your car will have a smooth and consistent windshield after it has been replaced. If you find that your new windshield is not sitting right in place, it could be a sign that it was installed improperly. If your installer gave you the green light to take it home immediately after it was installed, it’s likely that the adhesive that holds the glass in place wasn’t completely cured and hardened yet.

Check Your Battery

If you’re driving around in winter, it’s important to make sure your battery is functioning properly. This will save you a lot of hassle and money in the long run. A quick multimeter test will give you an idea if your battery is leaking voltage or if it’s too weak to hold a charge. Set the multimeter to 15-20 volts and connect it to both your battery’s positive and negative terminals. Then, put your vehicle in park and turn off the engine. If your battery volts read less than 12.6 volts, it may be time to replace it. A good battery will drop a few volts when under serious load, but it should quickly return to full power once it’s been released. However, if the battery volts stay low throughout the test, it’s possible that your battery has deteriorated and needs to be replaced.

Check Your Heater

When you’re driving in the winter, your heater is essential for keeping you warm and comfortable. One of the most common winter car issues is when your vehicle’s heater doesn’t work. If you notice that your car’s heater is only blowing cold air or doesn’t seem to be working at all, you should make an appointment to get it checked out as soon as possible. The last thing you want is to be shivering on the road, which could lead to an accident or other serious issues.

Categorised in: Auto Heating Repair, Auto Repair Service, General Maintenance, Mechanic

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