Taking care of your car during the winter months is essential because your car might be impacted when the snow falls. Here are the top 10 tips to take care of your car so it's winter-ready and its performance is not impacted throughout the frigid winter months.
1.
Buy Winter Tires
The first thing
you need to do is install winter tires on your car. It will keep you safe on
the icy roads and allow you to enhance your driving performance even in colder
months. Check the tires regularly to ensure they are inflated and have a good
tread.
2.
Wash the Car Regularly
If your car
becomes an accumulating space for slush, ice, sand, salt, and snow, you need to
wash your car. Get a good wash and wax before the build-up starts. It will help
avoid rust. Monitor the area around the front grille and tires to check for
build-up.
3.
Check the Oil
It would help if
you also ensured that the oil level isn't too low and the oil has the right
consistency. Check the vehicle owner's manual to know which oil you are using
to get the right performance from the vehicle.
4.
Check the Windshield
Wipers
It is also wise
to check the windshield wipers to perform well in low temperatures and low
visibility conditions. Fill them with windshield wiper fluid to get optimal
performance.
5.
Inspect the Heaters
You also need to
ensure that you check the heaters of your car regularly is that you don't have
to drive when you are cold. It is also wise to check the defrosting mechanism
on the windshield to have a clear view of the road and not an icy one.
6.
Antifreeze for the
Radiator
To avoid
freezing the liquid in the radiator, you need to use antifreeze. It will help
avoid build-up, leading to build-up or worse, leaks or transmission failure. Check
the radiator and antifreeze regularly to ensure that you don't run into such
problems.
7.
Use an Emergency Kit
Keep an
emergency kit in your vehicle so that you don't suffer if you get stuck away
from home, and the vehicle breaks down, or the doors are stuck, and you cannot
get out. The emergency kit should include essentials like a shovel, sand, salt,
water, non-perishable food products, blanket jumper cables, and a flashlight,
among others.
8.
Check the Battery
Before the winter
months, you also need to check the vehicle's battery and keep it fully charged
and in excellent condition. If you have a dead battery, you might get stuck in
an unpleasant situation. So, it's better to check it every few days in the winter
months.
9.
Keep Some Fuel
It is also
recommended that you keep at least half a tank of fuel with you so that if you
get stuck in the snow with an empty tank, you can rescue yourself instead of
waiting to be rescued by someone else.
Sources:
https://www.stouffvillehyundai.com/blog/2020/march/26/top-10-tips-to-take-care-of-your-car-during-the-winter.htm
https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/8-simple-winter-car-care-tips-246739
https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/auto-and-vehicles/important-winter-car-care-tips