It’s a new year but we still have the snowiest months of winter to go. When it comes to seasonal car care, it’s best to always keep an eye on essential systems in your car, whether mid-season or as seasons change. Three things in particular are good to check in mid-winter, whether or not you had seasonal maintenance done at the beginning of winter.
Traction is more important than ever when winter weather strikes. Snowy roads are difficult to navigate with tires that have proper pressure and aren’t over-worn. Take a few minutes to give your tires a good check over before the next winter storm hits, and you may be thanking yourself soon.
As temperatures rise, so does the pressure in your tires. As temperatures fall, your tire pressure drops. Many modern cars have tire pressure monitors built in so you’ll be notified if your tire pressure is either too high or too low. If you hop in your car on a cold morning and see that one or more of your tires are low, it’s a good idea to find a place to stop and fill them up with air. Driving on under-filled or flat tires can accelerate how fast your tread wears down.
The key to safe winter driving is an adequate tread to grip the surface of the road. All through the season – and the rest of the year – keep an eye on your tires’ tread. If you’re unsure, you can do the quarter (https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving/quartertest) test to easily gauge whether or not you have enough tread remaining or if you should take your car in for new tires.
If your car battery isn’t ready, you aren’t going anywhere. That’s why it’s important to take care of your battery, especially in winter. Take time to do a visual check of your battery and make sure the connections are free from corrosion. And when you’re able, take your car to an auto repair shop for a battery test to make sure it’s still able to hold enough of a charge.
The fact is colder temperatures, harsh winds, and nasty winter weather are all hard on car batteries. If you’re able to, keeping your car in a garage where it’s protected will not only help the exterior of your car, but also the battery. The colder it is, the harder your battery has to work to get the engine running when you start your car. That means it needs more of a charge stored just to start the car. Seasonal inspections will help head off issues with your battery.
Keep an eye on necessary fluids for your car. This includes monitoring engine oil and fuel levels, as well as wiper fluid to make sure you’re safe on the road.
It’s a good idea to keep your fuel tank at least half full, especially in the winter. Cold temperatures allow for condensation to build up on exposed parts of your fuel tank. It’s possible for it to then work its way into the fuel lines. There, it could freeze and prevent your car from starting.
You also want to keep an eye on your engine oil. If the level gets too low or the engine oil is older and therefore thicker from contamination, it’s much harder on your car. Cold temperatures make engine oil even thicker, so it requires even more effort to get your engine running first thing. If you skipped the oil change at the start of winter, consider getting one now.
Visibility is key in winter. Driving on snowy, slushy roads can turn your windshield into a nightmare. Make sure you can keep it clear and see the road in front of you. Pay attention to which type of wiper fluid you buy, too. Be sure to choose wiper fluid meant for winter so that it won’t freeze on your windshield.
