How To Prepare Your Car For The Winter

Winter is a time for getting together and spending time with the ones you love, which commonly includes lots of miles spent in the car, so it's only fitting you should prepare your car for the extra outings or the potential lack of use while you’re out enjoying the holidays. With your schedule starting to fill up from festivities, it may seem daunting to have to cut out a large portion of your schedule to make sure your car is in tip-top shape for the chilly weather, Wrench can make sure you don’t have to miss out on the celebrations this season is full of, with our convenient mobile technicians.

Steps To Take To Prepare

The majority of the work involved in preparing your vehicle for the winter is arranging for your car to be tuned up, regular car maintenance is already important to keep on a consistent schedule, and when temperatures reach extreme lows during the winter, it becomes even more so essential to keeping those you love safe while traveling this holiday season.

Having good visibility during a winter storm is essential to safe driving. Therefore one of the first things you should check on when tuning up your car is the wiper fluid reservoir, making sure it's full throughout the winter months ensures your windshield stays clear.

If you live in an area that gets extremely cold during the winter months you may want to consider filling your reservoir with a deicer or a wiper fluid concentrate. Another thing to consider when the weather gets chilly, it also affects the viscosity of the oil in your engine, inhibiting the proper lubrication which can cause numerous complications. It may be ideal to switch your regular oil out for a winter-grade oil, which will be a lot thinner in the cold weather compared to regular oil. You can speak with a Wrench mobile mechanic and they will make sure you get the proper oil for your car type, make, and model so you don't have to worry about having the wrong kind of oil.

Here are some other things you should keep in mind when getting ready for the winter:

Testing Your Battery:
Those who have been on the road long enough, most likely have had to change a battery in a car they've owned at least once or twice. The last thing anyone wants during the winter season is having their vehicle stuck, and not because of snow, but because of a dead battery. Make sure to have your battery tested, as the winter season is notorious for killing batteries due to the strain the batteries go through in the cold.

Consider Winter Tires:
Cars nowadays are programmed to help with braking, but why not go the extra mile and invest in your safety by simply buying winter tires. Braking on ice can be a frightening experience, winter tires on the other hand help reduce side skid and are safer when applying the brakes. If you're contemplating changing your tires for the season, the importance lies in having properly stocked wheels for icy and cold weather. The best thing you can do is avoid driving with bald tires.

Check Your Coolant:
The coolant that is put in helps your engine helps with a multitude of things like cooling your engine from heat, as well as preventing it from freezing, cracking, and corrosion. A multimeter can be used to check if the coolant is doing its job or if it needs to be changed. Leaving an old coolant or even using the wrong one, can further damage the inside of your vehicle, so if you are worried about doing it yourself, a wrench mechanic can help ease the stress.

Have Your Brakes Checked:
Ice is one of the most common hazards during the winter, it can be hard to see and predict, so it shouldn't be a surprise that icy roads make up 24% of weather-related vehicle crashes, each year. Having brake in good condition is essential during the winter as it is one of the biggest lifesavers in accidents. Have a Wrench mechanic verify that your brakes are working properly. It will be vital for any safe traveling this holiday season.

Switch To Winter Wiper Blades:
An easy investment towards the winter season is getting a pair of wiper blades that can last during the cold season and face the snow and freezing rain. You could leave your standard wipers on, but they if they lack the proper outside rubber protection, they could be prone to freezing to the glass, meanwhile, winter wiper blades have special plastics that stay soft and pliable during cold conditions. Windshield wipers aren't the most difficult thing to install onto a car, but in case you don't want to mess with your vehicle, our Wrench mobile mechanics can help you out and make it one less thing for you to worry about.

Invest In Safety Absorbent:
Some of you might already know the trick about using cat litter to regain traction when stuck on ice. It is an effective way to help make traction on ice, the only issue is that cat litter can contain clay, which can become slick after time in the cold environment. You can order alternatives like safety absorbent and best left in the trunk of your car, you never know when you'll need it! It's always better to be safe than sorry.

When All Else Fails

Using this blog as a loose checklist is a good start to preparing for the cold, as the winter seasons can be unpredictable, and it is safer to be prepared than to be in a situation of regret. Our Wrench mobile mechanics can make sure your car is all set and ready to go this winter season. It is extremely important to get ready for the fluctuating weather so you don’t get stuck in a sticky situation during the brutally cold winter. Let Wrench help make this process as stress-free as possible and get a free quote today!