If you buy a car, you can treat it any way you like. Some people don’t care about their vehicle much. They might not take it for regular tune-ups or pay attention to the maintenance schedule that the manufacturer recommends that they follow.
If you try to treat your car well, though, that’s great. You will likely get many more years out of it if you follow the maintenance routine and look it over for flaws or damage periodically.
Some people, even ones who take pretty good care of their cars, don’t think to winterize it.
Winter can impact your car in several notable ways, though, and by winterizing the vehicle, you can minimize the possible damage the colder months can do to it.
Let’s talk about winter car prep right now. You have several possible actions, and they’re all worth considering.
Might You Put Your Car in Storage?
First, you should think about whether you would like to put your car in storage. That’s usually only an option if you have more than one vehicle.
For instance, maybe you own a car that does well in good weather, but it’s useless in heavy snow. You also own an SUV, and it does fine on snowy days.
In this situation, you might put your car in the garage, and there it will stay for the entirety of the winter. If you have a garage with room for two vehicles, that’s ideal. You can drive your SUV or whatever other vehicle you have that does well in snow, and you can leave the other car covered with a tarp until the pleasant spring weather shows up again.
Washing the Vehicle
Assuming you plan to drive the vehicle in the snow or whatever other winter weather conditions materialize, you will want to wash it before winter starts. This will get any gunk off the car. You always want to do this periodically as a responsible car owner, but with winter coming, it’s more vital than ever.
By washing off any dirt or grime that’s on the car, it becomes much less likely that it will freeze to the car’s paint job or undercarriage when the temperatures drop below freezing. You always want to avoid dirt, grime, or anything caustic freezing to the vehicle.
You should also wash the vehicle multiple times during the winter. A professional car wash probably works best, since washing the car yourself in the driveway during frigid temperatures probably doesn’t appeal too much.
Making sure that you keep washing the car during the winter will get any filth off of it that accumulates during snow, freezing rain, or similar weather events.
Making Sure the Vehicle Has the Proper Fluid Levels
You will want to check the vehicle to make sure that it has the proper fluid levels when winter approaches. For instance, you will certainly want to make sure that you have enough windshield wiper fluid in the reservoir.
If you’re out on the road in the dead of winter, and it starts snowing, then the windshield can quickly get to the point where you can barely see out of it. The thick, driving snow might make it seem like you’re driving through a white curtain.
To stay safe, you will need to clear the windshield with wiper fluid every few minutes. That can deplete the fluid quickly, so be sure to top it off sometime during the winter as well.
You will also want to check to make sure that the windshield wipers work perfectly. If they start to skip or bounce over the surface of the glass, then you need to get some new ones without delay.
Checking the Heat
You will want to turn on the heat in your car and let it run for a bit before winter hits. Doing so will make sure that when you need it a few weeks later, it’s working perfectly.
You don’t want to turn on the heat for the first time in several months when it’s cold outside and you desperately need it. Learning only then that you have a problem with the heat puts you in a tough situation.
Putting on the Snow Tires
Finally, you will want to winterize your car by putting on its snow tires. In some instances, all-weather tires will work as well.
By doing this, you will have tires that grip the street, even when it’s wet or slick.