Do It Yourself Winter Car Care Tips
Image In addition to the added perils of winter driving, the change in weather can mean trouble for your car systems.  Safety is an important consideration all year long, but there are certainly some automobile maintenance issues that are specific to winter driving conditions. Doing some simple safety checks can help you be more confident and safe.
The season change is a great time to go through once-a-year or twice-a-year auto maintenance tasks. Freezing temperatures, salted roads and wintry precipitation can all add up to trouble if not taken care of in advance. Below are a few simple DIY tips.


Check Your Antifreeze

Your antifreeze (the juice that goes in your radiator) is an essential part of your car's winter protection plan. Your car contains a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. Make sure the level is full and the mixture is close to 50/50. Many service stations and repair centers will check this mixture for free, or you can buy a tester yourself.


Inspect Your Tires

The first line of defense between you and sliding into “no man’s land” are your tires. Winter is not the time to get cheap. Take the time to check the tread depth of each tire. The National Highway Transportation Safety Board recommends at least 2/32” of depth, but to be safe we recommend at least 4/32 or 1/8”. Also, be sure to check your tire pressure. Tires lose pressure when it gets cold.

Replace Your Wipers

There are two important things to consider. Any precipitation falling from the sky is going to end up on your windshield, and unless you have a team of window washers riding on the hood of your car, the task of clearing it falls on your wipers. You're also likely to be driving through slushy muck that's left on the road. It takes wipers that are in top shape to keep your windshield clean and safe.

Check Your Windshield Washer Fluid

You'll be using lots of washer fluid as you try to keep your windshield crystal clear. A mile behind a tractor trailer can have your windshield a total mess.


Check Your Engine Oil

Engine oil should be checked monthly throughout the whole year, but this can easily be forgotten.
 
< Prev   Next >