As winter approaches and the air begins to get colder, you may be wondering what steps you can take to prepare your car. Surprisingly, there are several ways the colder weather can cause damage to your car, such as frozen fuel lines, road salt damage, and low tire pressure. With that being said, there are multiple ways to prevent these and ways for your car to come out of winter better than ever.
1. Change to Winter Tires
You may be thinking this is only for area’s that have extreme snow. Believe it or not, snow or no snow, if the weather is below 45 degrees, winter tires will be your best friend and will prevent several issues you could have when temperatures begin to drop. Winter tires are made to give you better traction while you are turning or stopping on the cold pavement or slippery surfaces.
2. Check Your Tire Pressure
A fact to consider is your tires lose a pound of pressure for every 10 degree drop. Therefore, be sure you are checking your tire pressure frequently so you are not driving on underinflated tires, which can be extremely dangerous.
3. Keep Your Gas Tank Half Full
This tip is a harder one for most people to actually do. It can be annoying to fill your tank up every time it gets to a half. Keeping your tank half full will come in handy in case of an emergency or if you get stuck in the snow and need to wait for roadside assistance. If you are planning to travel in the winter, be sure to plan gas stops in advance.
4. Add a Protective Layer
Adding a coat of polymer wax can will protect your car from road salt, grime, snow, sleet and other outdoor factors winter has to offer. If you combined that with a higher pressure car wash after any winter storms that will rinse away the buildup in hard-to-reach areas such as wheels, wheel wells and underbody you will be golden when it comes to the exterior of your vehicle.
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5. Protect Your Windshield Wipers
If and when parking outside, be sure to leave your wipers in an upright position so they will not freeze to the windshield. Don’t ever try and use your wiper blades to scrape ice or remove ice from the windshield.
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