These car care tips will help you keep your car safe and sound through the coming winter months. I know. It’s only September, and nobody wants to think about winter yet, but we have to. Winter can be brutal on our cars, so these car care tips are just the thing to keep our babies running smoothly and safely.
Car Care Tips to Keep Your Ride in Shape
There are a few car care tips to follow before the winter months arrive that will keep your car in good working order over the course of the cold months. That’s especially important in places like the northern United States and pretty much all of Canada, where winters can be exceedingly brutal.
Check the Battery
Check your battery. When was it purchased? What kind of battery is it? What type of weather and use is it rated for? These are all important questions to consider. You also need to check the battery connections to make sure there’s no corrosion. There are differing schools of opinion on this, but generally speaking, you should change your battery before winter sets in if it’s more than a few years old or it you notice that your car or truck is having a sluggish start up.
Change the Oil
This is a big car care tip for the winter. You will find people that say to use a lighter weight oil in the winter. You’ll also find people that say the weight doesn’t matter as long as you use a synthetic. I recommend using a lighter weight oil in the winter months. Lighter weight oil can make its way to key engine parts faster and reduce engine wear.
Check the Tires
One of the biggest car care tips for the winter. CHECK THOSE TIRES! Your tires are what keep you on the road, and during the winter, when you can have black ice and other nasty things, it’s doubly important to make sure your tires are in order. The rule of thumb is that if your tire tread isn’t 5/32″ deep, you need to change them. If your tires have less tread depth than that, you’re opening yourself up to a reduction in traction and control in some nasty weather situations.
Keep the Car Clean
While it may not have anything to do with how your car runs, keeping your car washed still makes my list of car care tips for the winter. The salt trucks are out in full force in the winter months. Every time it snows, your car is going to get an undercarriage full of salt. Which means an undercarriage full of corrosion. So keep your car clean throughout the winter and hose down that undercarriage to keep all of that salt from corroding your car’s underside.
Exercise Caution
This may be last on my winter car care tips, but it is most certainly not least. The best offense is a good defense. Exercise a greater level of caution when you drive during the winter months. It will save your car and possibly your life. Never exceed the speed limit, drive appropriately for conditions, and be acutely aware of your surroundings. Those are key to being safe.
5 Car Care Tips for Winter to Keep You and Your Car Safe
Even though the last one is more of a state of mind than an actual car care tip, I think it’s worth having on this list. If you follow these 5 car care tips, then you’ll have a car that’s much more likely to weather the winter months successfully and get you safely to your destination.