As the warm weather slowly fades away and the cool Fall weather starts settling in, it is never too early to think about “Winterizing” your car. There are many preventions steps you can take to prepare your vehicle for the wintry weather when roads can become icy, snowy, slushy, and the harsh conditions can affect your sight and driving.
Follow these top ten steps to winterize your car:
1. Change Your Oil
2. Test Your Battery
3. Inspect Your Tires- Whether it is time to switch to winter tires or regularly checking your tire pressure during the winter the impact of the low winter temperatures can drastically affect your tires, be sure your tires are performing at top level and have them inspected right away.
4. Change Wiper Blades
5. Fill Your Fluids – Many times your windshield wiper fluid can quickly go down because of the frequent use while in a winter storm. Be sure to top off windshield wiper fluids often, as well as topping off your antifreeze.
6. Monitor Brakes
7. Pack A Winter Safety Kit- In case of an emergency or if you are stranded on the road, be sure to these items prepared in your vehicle before heading out: Pack of matches, first aid kit, flares, flashlight and batteries, ice scraper, warm clothing, non-perishable food and beverage items, jumper cables, cellphone, extra antifreeze, car tool kit, bag of sand and a shovel.
8. Keep The Gas Take At Least Half Full- Keeping your gas tank full helps reduce condensation, which can prevent gas line freeze ups and having a full tank of gas can help you stay warm if you are stuck somewhere.
9. Choose AWD or 4WD
10. Get Your Car Service – Before winter hits, make sure to have your vehicle service, recommended items to check are the battery power, cooling system, brakes, belts, hoses, spark plugs, wires and cables which can make being stuck in the cold weather even worse.
As a reminder, be prepared in case of car emergencies and know what to do before you are stuck in a winter storm. If you do get stuck keep in mind these helpful tips:
- Do not leave your car for risk of losing sight of it
- Do not run your car for long periods of time, instead, turn it on long enough to stay
warm, and then turn it off again to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning
- Put your dome lights on to attract attention.
Don't forget when you are ready to put your vehicle in storage for the winter or planning to go somewhere warmer for the Winter season, please contact your independent agent to revise coverages to any of your autos and recreational vehicles to make sure your vehicle is insured correctly.
Contact Paroubek Insurance today and talk to our trusted advisors about your auto insurance to help you find the appropriate coverages needed to protect you and your loved ones.
Sources: https://www.kbb.com/car-news/10-tips-on-how-to-winterize-your-vehicle/ https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/r/advice/car-maintenance/is-your-vehicle-ready-for-winter-heres-a-maintenance-checklist https://www.bridgestonetire.com/learn/maintenance/how-to-winterize-a-car/#
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