Winterizing your car is pretty straight-forward. Barry High, the manager at Firestone Complete Auto Care in Raleigh, North Carolina tells us what to do to be prepared for the season.
“First you need to make sure your coolant levels are right to keep your system from freezing up. This is especially important if your car is prepared for where you live, but you’re driving to part of the country that’s much colder!”
Next Barry says to change your oil to the correct weight for the winter temperatures.
Check your battery. Cold temperatures can reduce battery power and a cold car is harder to start, which means you need all the power you can get from your battery.
Next Barry gives us another big tip.
“It’s very important that your belts and hoses are in good shape too. It only takes a small leak or broken belt to leave you stranded in potentially dangerous conditions.”
The next thing to check is your wiper blades and you want winter-ready windshield wiper fluid to prevent freezing and help melt falling snow and ice on your windshield.
And last but not least, your tires are obviously the most important part of maintaining safe control during winter driving. Not only are safe tread and proper inflation important, but the correct type of tire for the season is a big safety factor.
You also need to have a small emergency kit with water and non-perishable foods. You should have a small shovel, some sand or cat litter for traction. And don’t forget an ice scraper, jumper cables, a blanket and an extra jacket. Also, have a flashlight with extra batteries and a cellphone charger.
It is really easy to be safer on the road in the winter.
For WeatherNation: John Van Pelt.