Winter is one of the toughest months for car owners. The cold weather affects your car in different ways which can cause damages. Driving during winter is also unsafe because the presence of snow reduces your visibility. Additionally, ice on the road makes the road slippery and this can be hazardous.
With all these negative effects, the solution is not to park your car and wait for the winter season to be over. If you know how to protect your car from winter conditions, then you can prevent many damages that can kill your car. How do you ensure that your car is functioning well regardless of the harsh weather?
I will take you some of the most important things that you should do ensure your car is functioning well during winter.
Get a Car Cover
If you park your car outside, you need to be aware of the effects on the nasty winter conditions on your car. You don’t want to make up in the morning and start removing ice and snow from the car. Winter car cover protection is important because it prevents your car from the effects of snow and ice.
A quality car cover also improves the condition of your vehicle hence increasing its resale value. Other benefits you will get when you buy a car cover for winter is theft protection and protection from the rain.
Car Battery
During the winter season, you will experience the dead battery frequently. This is because when the temperatures are too cold, the car battery is unable to deliver the current effectively. You need to check your car battery frequently during winter so that you can ensure it is working well. Check www.dunkermotor.com for more help.
Mechanics recommend car owners to change the car battery after every 3-5 years depending on how frequently you drive and where you live. Your battery can be performing well during hot months but when the winter comes, you might experience problems starting it in the morning.
You should also check the battery for corrosion and check the spark plug to ensure that everything is working well. Again, make sure that you keep your car warm. The battery can handle the lowest temperature of 30 degrees F. you can park your car in the garage or close to a warm building to prevent the battery from freezing.
Car Fluids
Img source: cargurus.com
Cold temperatures during winter affect the fluids in your car making them less efficient. You need to look for ways to helps the oil, brake, anti-freeze and transmission fluids to work well. When the oil gets thicker, its performance will reduce and this will affect the ability to move the parts.
I would recommend you to choose an oil with lower viscosity but you should also check your manual to find out what is recommended by the manufacturer. You can mix the anti-freeze with water 50/50 and it will be fine. Don’t put too much water because it will make the fluid freeze fast.
Tires
Tires work well at the recommended pressure. Because cold temperatures compress the air, this also compresses the air in your car tires. You need the right tire pressure for braking, cornering and to maintain the stability of your car on the icy roads. If the tires have too much pressure, this will cause bouncing on the road. On the other hand, if there is little tire pressure, the tires will overheat and begin to wear out.
It is important to check the recommended tire pressure from the manufacturer so that you can too much or less pressure on the tires. Additionally, you can consider buying winter tires because they are specifically designed to handle winter conditions. Also check if your fog lights in the car, working or not. It’s also a necessary thing to drive a car in the winter season.
Windshield Wipers
Img source: videoblocks.com
Windshield wipers work well to remove sleet and ice on the windshield during winter. If you want to get the best performance, it is wise to replace them before you start experiencing problems. If you have worn-out blades, you need to replace them immediately.
When you are washing the windshield during winter, avoid using hot water because the windshield is frozen. Using hot water can lead to cracks on the windshield. You can use alcohol-based sprays or rub the normal alcohol to clean the windshield. Check all on this site
Wash Your Car Regularly
The presence of road salt poses negative effects on your car. The salt is always on the street before or after the ice and snow reaches lower water freezing point. When your car is exposed to the road salt frequently, this leads to rust which can affect different parts like the exhaust system, undercarriage, brake system, and mufflers.
You should wash your car regularly to remove the salt that causes corrosion. Regular car wash on the underside prevents the salt from causing damages on your car’s exterior.
Wax Your Car
Img source: wadeins.com
Applying a layer of wax on the paint keeps your car clean because it repels dust during winter. It is recommended to add wax on the lower parts of the car that are prone to rust. You can wax behind the wheels, front grille and quarter panels.
Warm Your Car Before You Drive
This is another important thing that you should do when driving during winter. Winter brings about constant freeze and condensation in the car’s services. You can prevent such problems by warming up your car prior to driving. This gives the condensation the chance to thaw.
Final Words
Img source: aacare.net
If winter is approaching, how well prepared are you to handle the harsh conditions? You want to keep your car in the best condition so that it can run smoothly regardless of the tough weather. Winter brings about many damaging effects on your car. You will have to deal with salt on the road, engine problems, dirty slush and much more.
All these require extra care to ensure that your car doesn’t experience problems. I believe you now know how winter kills your car and the preventive measures you should incorporate to protect your car. By doing the above, you will have your car in the best condition and achieve safe drives all the time.
