Winter is nigh – know what your car needs and keep the family safe
Winter is the time when normal rules of car behavior cease to apply in many places where the mercury drops below zero. Snow, sleet, and ice not only make driving hazardous, they also make special demands of your vehicle.
The coolant is easily the most critical component that needs to be taken care of in the freezing months. If the coolant is not cared for, it may freeze and render the engine useless. You can check the freezing point of your coolant with a Ball-Type tester. Ideally, the coolant should be changed every 30,000 miles or two years.
Keep the car body panels free from damage by washing your car so that salt and other chemicals used to melt the ice on the roads do not stay adhered to the car body. Waxing the car body prevents snow from damaging the paint.
Traction is important during winter months so check the tread depth and the tire pressure which tends to drop during the winter months. If your all-season tires are worn out you may want to replace them with steel wheels that have dedicated snow tires on them.
Your windshield washer solvent can withstand cold up to ten degrees below, if temperatures fall below that in your area, consider an alternative wiper solution. Also, your winter wiper blades should have some protection on the pivots so that they don’t freeze over and can flex easily to scrape the ice and snow off the windshield. Your battery should be fully charged to give you the power necessary for revving up a cold engine. Ensure that the battery terminals stay clean by coating them with white lithium grease.
Consider placing a radiator cover if you are using a diesel engine that does not release as much heat as a gas engine. The cover will help to control the flow of warm air from the radiator. An electric engine heater guarantees an engine start even in cold conditions. Heaters help maintain the viscosity of the engine oil. They can fit into the upper radiator hose or in the space used for the dipstick.
It is imperative that the exhaust should not leak; do not run the air conditioning in the car for long periods if the exhaust is not inspected. There is a real danger of carbon monoxide seeping into the seating area and causing fatalities.
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