Many people drive during the winter, especially during the holidays. However, winter conditions, such as icy roads or blizzards, can create a dangerous environment if you're not prepared.
Below, you'll learn how to winterize your car and ensure you're prepared to handle driving in winter conditions, keeping you and your family safe.
Install Winter Wipers
Most winter wipers use rubber to prevent ice from collecting on the blades. You can also choose ones tailored to your area's weather. For example, if you're expecting to drive through heavy snow, you can install wipers that have a heated element. You can also choose hydrophobic wipers if you expect a lot of icy rain.
Many people believe that you should prop your car's wiper arms before a snowstorm, but doing this can actually cause harm to the wipers. Wiper blades are designed to withstand conditions coming only from the front of the car, so when you prop them, you are actually exposing the more delicate plastic gearing to wind and other winter elements. This can lead to brittle plastic, breakage and wipers that chatter.
Remember that winter wipers are heavier than regular wipers and can wear out your wiper motor if you don't remove them come spring.
Switch to Winter Tires
Another way to winterize a vehicle is by equipping it with winter tires. Winter tires use unique compounds to prevent them from hardening when temperatures drop, allowing you to maintain traction.
While you can use all-season tires in the winter, they won't offer the same level of performance you need in winter weather conditions. Winter tires are essential in areas with harsh winters. These tires are safer and can give you extra reassurance when driving on icy roads.
Pack a Winter Safety Kit
Even when you've taken every possible precaution, your car can still break down during the winter. It's essential to always keep your vehicle stocked with vital winter tools and supplies in case of an emergency.
Some items you should keep in your car include:
- First aid kits
- Flashlights and batteries
- Matches
- Extra warm clothing
- Jumper cables
- Antifreeze
- Cell phone
- Car tool kit
- Nonperishable food and drinks
- Ice scrapers
- Flares
6 Parts of Your Car to Check Before Winter
There are several parts of your vehicle that you should check to ensure they're ready for winter. While you can check some of these things yourself, others will require professional service.
1. Heating and Cooling
If your heating system isn't operating well, it will likely fail when winter conditions come around. You should have a technician check your heating system to see if there's an issue if you feel it isn't working at full power.
While you'll likely only use your heating system in the winter, your car uses the cooling system all year round. The cooling system helps prevent your engine from overheating. You should flush and refill your cooling system every 24 months, and a technician should check your system periodically to ensure it's operating correctly.
2. Fluids
It's crucial to check your fluids to ensure they don't freeze and cause damage to your car. Some of the fluids you can check yourself include:
- Oil: While you should maintain your oil year-round, it's essential in winter. You should change your oil and oil filter based on your vehicle's manual specifications. If you make a lot of short trips or long trips carrying a heavy load, you may want to change your oil more frequently.
- Wiper fluid: You'll want plenty of wiper fluid to clean your windshield when you encounter rough winter conditions, allowing you to drive safely.
- Antifreeze: It's vital to check that your antifreeze or engine coolant is clean to protect your engine against freezing.
You may want to take your car to a professional to check your power steering, brake and transmission fluid.
3. Tire Pressure
Your tire pressure can get low as the temperature drops, so be sure to check your tire pressure at least once a month. Failing to put air in tires with low pressure can create problems with traction and stability. Your breaking distance increases, as does the likelihood of a flat tire.
Filling your air with tires allows you to maintain good traction while driving along icy roads and makes it easier to break in time to prevent an accident. A flat tire can also be a significant inconvenience and a costly replacement, so ensure to consistently check your tire pressure and fill them when they're low.
4. Lights
Not only will your lights help you navigate harsh winter conditions throughout the day and night, but they also alert drivers of your location to prevent an accident. It's vital to ensure that your lights are working correctly. Inspect all your lights and bulbs, including your headlights and brake lights. If you have any burned-out bulbs, replace them before you get back on the road.
You'll also want to clean dirt, insects and other debris from your headlights to ensure you have as much visibility as possible while driving. You may need to clean them more frequently than you usually do if you're going through snow, ice or road salt.
5. Engine
Your engine is essential to your vehicle, so it's crucial to ensure it's performing correctly, especially in the winter. For example, while you should replace your air, PVC and fuel filters as recommended, you may need to do so more frequently if you're driving in harsh winter conditions.
You can also have a professional technician look at your engine to determine if there are any underlying issues. They can make recommendations to help keep your engine in optimal health.
6. Battery
Your battery helps your car turn on, so it's one of the essential parts of your vehicle that you should maintain throughout winter. You'll want to look for any signs that your battery is bad, which can include the following:
- Your battery is more than three years old.
- Your lights appear different, such as yellow instead of white.
- Your car horn sounds strange.
- Your electronic accessories aren't working.
- Your battery has a sulfur or rotten egg smell.
- Your battery looks corroded, cracked or swollen.
If you notice any of these signs, it's likely time to replace your battery.
Keep Your Vehicle Clean
Another way you can winterize your car is to keep it clean. Driving in winter conditions often leads to road salt and other chemicals attaching to your vehicle's undercarriage. This buildup creates the potential for rust, which can slowly eat away at the underlying components and cause permanent damage. Keeping your car clean can help prevent rust damage and expensive repairs.
Keep Your Tank Half Full
Keeping gas in your car's tank is essential in winter. A full tank helps reduce condensation, preventing your gas lines from freezing. A full tank will also help keep your car running, keeping you warm if you get stranded in winter weather until help arrives.
While it may not always be possible to have a full tank, you should always aim to keep it at least half full.
De-Icing
Letting ice build up can cause your car doors to freeze shut. While you might be tempted to use hot water to get rid of the ice, doing so will leave more water that can refreeze later. Instead, it's best to use a commercial spray or make your own de-icer to eliminate ice.
Of course, the best solution is to prevent ice from building up in the first place. When it's dry outside, wipe down your door seals and spray your gaskets with silicone to prevent freezing. You can also use windshield covers to prevent ice from forming if you don't want to spray down your car.
Stay Safe This Winter With AAA
Learning how to winterize a car is just one way you can protect yourself this winter. Take your protection to the next level with AAA. We have three different membership levels to help you feel more secure driving through winter conditions on the road. Some of our services include towing, accident protection, flat tire service and emergency gasoline delivery.
Give you and your family additional peace of mind by becoming a member of AAA. You can sign up for a membership today or browse our coverage options to find the plan that's right for you!
