Prepare For Winter

Preparing Your Car For Winter - 5 Useful Tips

Preparing your car for the cold winter times is really important, especially if you know there will be a lot of snowing in your area. Also, if you park your car outside all the time, it should be even more susceptible to various glitches, and I'm pretty sure you want to be prepared for anything that may occur.

So, here are a few tips on preparing your car for a cold winter:

1. Consider a tune-up

Especially is you haven't taken your car to some service maintenance, it's a good idea to take it now. A professional mechanic should know every aspect regarding your car and its contact with the cold, and carry out the specific checks and tune-ups to make sure your car won't cause any problems due to the winter cold.

2. Get winter tires

Of course, this may not be necessary, if the weather in your area doesn't get that cold, and doesn't snow a lot. Many cars come equipped with all-season tires, which are not bad, however, if it does snow a lot in your area, winter tires are a must. Also, adjust the tire pressure and make sure your tires are properly inflated. The cold causes the air in the tires to contract, resulting in lower pressure.

3. Check your battery

Cold winter weather has quite an impact on a car's battery and electrical system. You should know that it's recommended to change your battery every 3 to 5 years. However, even if it hasn't passed that long, it's not a bad idea to give it a check, look for signs of corrosion, clean the clamps (a baking powder and water solution is great for this task), and if so far the battery has shown signs of fatigue, maybe you should even consider replacing it.

4. Check the car fluids

Evidently, the number one fluid to check for the winter, is the antifreeze. So make sure the antifreeze tank is full and the concentration is right (it should be 50/50 antifreeze and water). Of course, it won't hurt to check the transmission fluid if it's the case and the oil (and even change the oil if you haven't done it in a while).

5. Prepare a winter kit

And for this, think what can happen during winter. Heavy snow, extreme cold, dead battery, remaining stranded due to harsh weather conditions etc. Your winter kit should contain at least 1-2 items useful for each one of the problems that you may be facing. So, your winter kit should contain: blankets, flashlight (and extra batteries), booster cables, brush, windshield scraper, small shovel, pack of salt, lighter, army knife, bottle of water, canned food etc.