Winterize Your Car to Help it Survive Cold Weather
By Teresa Ambord
If you want your car to survive the winter with a minimum of problems, do some preventive maintenance ahead of time. If a vehicle has any weaknesses, a weather change to very hot or very cold could cause those flaws to become full-blown failures. What is an inconvenient car problem in the summer can be a deadly breakdown in the winter.
Here is a list of things to focus on:
- Engine performance: If the car has hard starts, stalling, rough idling, and/or lack of power, those things will become worse in the winter. Take the car to a repair shop and get the problems fixed.
- Windshield Wipers: Remember, the summer's hot weather may have damaged them. If so, the first freeze may cause them to fall apart. If you live where the weather is extreme, consider putting on snow blades (wiper blades that are inside a rubber cover). They provide better contact with the window and the cover protects them from freeze.
- Window defrosters: Do they work well enough to allow clear vision? Even if they do, if the snow or ice is heavy where you live, keep an ice scraper handy.
- Battery: Summer heat may have worn down your battery. If it's weak when winter hits, the cold weather could be a deathblow. Have a professional test it, as well as the whole charging system. If the battery is at least four years old, it may be time for a replacement. For routine battery care, put on some rubber gloves and eye protection, and scrape away corrosion from posts and cable connections, clean surfaces and tighten connections. If the battery caps are removable, you should regularly check for the proper fluid levels.
- Oil change: Naturally you get your oil changed regularly, as recommended by your owner’s manual, and even more if you do a lot of stop-and-go driving. It may be time to add a winter-weight oil to make those cold starts easier on the engine. Don’t forget to check your air filter when you do the oil change.
- Fuel filter: Time for a new one? One of the things the fuel filters do is separate little bits of water from your fuel and those bits can build up over time. Winter temperatures can cause that water to freeze and block the flow of fuel. While you’re at it, check the PCV filter too.
- Cooling system: How's your antifreeze? Check it for discoloration, rust, or dirt. Read the label. If you live where temperatures drop to 20 below freezing, your antifreeze should specify that it will protect the engine to the right temperature and beyond. At any rate, replace your antifreeze every two years. Also have a professional look at your drive belts, hoses, and clamps.
- Spark plugs: New spark plugs cause your car to be more fuel-efficient and to start easier on cold mornings.
- Serpentine belt: Your car's serpentine drive belt keep the car cool when it would be hot, and keeps your battery charged. Check and, if necessary, replace it.
- Exhaust system: Take your car to a repair shop and ask them to examine the exhaust system for leaks. Also, take a look at the trunk and floorboards to see if there are small holes. Exhaust fumes are deadly any time, but worse in the winter.
- Lights and fuses: You're more likely to be traveling in the dark during winter months. Check lights and fuses to make sure they're still in good shape. Clean grime from the lenses regularly (avoid using a dry rag, which may scratch). And it can't hurt to keep spares for your brake lights, turn signals, and fuses.
- Tires: Check to make sure you have at least one-quarter inch of tread on the whole surface of the tire. Look for uneven wear and for cupping, and examine the sidewalls for cuts and nicks. Check the pressure regularly, while tires are cool. Make sure you have a spare and a jack and tire iron, all in good repair.
Finally, check your emergency supplies: blankets, gloves and boots, flares, a working flashlight, kitty litter or sand, a small shovel, tire chains, and a non-perishable snack, like energy bars.
