Colder weather is upon us which means it is time to prepare our cars for different driving conditions. For some, it means preparing your summer-time vehicle for long-term storage. This guide will give tips for preparing your car for driving through winter conditions as well as preparing your car for winter storage. Read on to learn the top ten most important steps to winterize a car.
1. Change Fluids
It is always recommended to make sure you have a fresh oil change as well as enough gas in the tank. This is very important if you are storing your car for the winter, but is also an important step to winterize the vehicle that you are using throughout the winter as well. It is also recommended to keep your gas tank full during storage and the cold months. This will prevent ant condensation from forming in the tank. You can also use a fuel stabilizer that will help keep the fuel fresh during the winter months when you may not be using your vehicle as much. It is best to research which fuel stabilizer works best, but this article reviews different options to help you find which one would work best for your car.
2. Prepare the Battery for the Cold
If you are storing your car for the winter, you will need to follow a few steps on how to winterize the car battery so that you will have a running car once summer comes along. A car left in long-term storage will eventually lose its battery life if not started or used periodically. The best option is to find someone who can start the vehicle every two to three weeks. This will prevent the battery from losing its charge and keep the engine and other essential car parts lubricated. There are other options available if you cannot find someone to run the car when in storage. One alternative is using a trickle charger. A trickle charger prevents the car battery from losing too much of its charge. The charger connects to the battery and then is plugged into a wall outlet. This option is only available if your car storage facility offers electricity. Another alternative that does not require electricity is to disconnect the negative battery cable. If you are not storing your car for the inter, there are still a few ways to winterize the car battery for when it will be in use. The first thing to do is check your car battery for corrosion. If your battery is corroded, it will prevent the electricity from flowing which will inhibit your car from starting. If there is corrosion on the battery you can scrub it off with baking soda and hot water. Another thing to do to help prevent your battery from dying in the winter season is to test and charge the battery. It is a good idea to get a sense of your battery's health before it gets frigid out so you know whether you should switch it out before the cold months come along. You can also do preventative charging when you are not using your vehicle. Using winter car features such as seat warmers and defrosters can affect the charge of your battery. Overall, these plans are not 100% guaranteed to keep your battery life safe, so it is important to have an emergency kit in your car if your battery were to die out in the cold. Your kit should include jumper cables, lights, gloves, blankets, etc. You can learn more about how to protect your battery life during the winter here.
3. Use Anti-freeze
One very important step when you winterize a car is to ensure your anti-freeze levels are sufficient. Anti-freeze is a liquid used to prevent water in the engine's cooling system from freezing in the winter. It works by lowering the freezing point of the water so that as the temperature outside drops, the water in the system will not freeze. Your vehicle always requires anti-freeze, but it is important to check the levels and top it off at least twice a year usually around the summer and winter months. You will buy the anti-freeze as a concentrated liquid that will need to be diluted. In most cases, you will dilute the antifreeze 50/50 with water. Below is a guide to how to fill up your anti-freeze in your car:
- Ensure that your car engine is cooled off before doing anything. Let your car rest for a few hours if you have just driven it before topping off fluids.
- Locate the coolant reservoir by finding a clear plastic tub that has a colored liquid inside. They can be identified by finding a lid with a bright color and labeled with the words "caution" or "hot"
- Once you have located the reservoir you can remove the cap to assess the content and how much anti-freeze will need to be administered. The side of the reservoirs will have a minimum and maximum scale. If the coolant is not within the range of the scale, you will need to top it off.
- If you bought a concentrated anti-freeze you will need to dilute the solution. You will do so by mixing half of the percent of anti-freeze you need with half percent of distilled water. If you do not have access to distilled water, you can boil water and then let it cool down before adding it to the concentrated anti-freeze. If you have ought a pre-mixed solution you can skip this step.
- You will then pour the solution into the reservoir until you reach the maximum line on the scale.
4. Consider Switching to Snow Tires
If you will be driving your vehicle a lot during the winter months, it is a good idea to switch your tires to ones more suitable for winter road conditions. Winter tires are safer by providing better traction, handling, and control on roads with snow or ice. There are a few different types of tires you can consider buying such as winter tires, all-weather tires, or mud and snow tires. All-weather tires and mud and snow tires are ones that can be used year-round while winter tires are typically only used in the winter months. Having winter tires provides safety and a little more peace of mind for driving in winter conditions, but you do not have to use them. It is important to assess if the cost and the extra maintenance of switching out tires for the season make sense for you when considering switching tires.
5. Test Tire Pressure Often
The colder weather has an impact on tire pressure. It has been calculated that for every 10-degree drop in Fahrenheit, your tire pressure goes down by one pound per square inch (PSI). If you have a newer call the tire pressure monitoring system will alert you when you have low tire pressure and some can even give you the gauge of each tire. If you do not, you can use a simple tire gauge that you can keep in your car. You will want to keep your car within the 32-35 PSI range, so if you fall below that range you should fill up your tires. Be sure to check the vehicle manufacturer's owner's manual to find the recommended PSI level for your specific car. You can purchase a portable air compressor or visit a gas station if you need to fill up your tires.
6. Check Belts and Hoses
It is important to check the belts and hoses in your car to see if any repairs need to be made. When checking the belts in your car look for the following things:
- Check the belt for cracks, frays, or splits on the top of the belt cover
- Look for a glazed effect on the sides of the belt. If the belt is glazed it can slip, overheat, or crack
When checking the hoses look for the following things:
- Look for cracks, nicks, or bulges
- Look for a hardened surface or abrasive damage along the hose
This article goes into great depth about how to properly check your car's belts and hoses.
7. Replace Wiper Blades
One step individuals miss when they winterize a car is replacing the wiper blades. Having updated wiper blades is super important for the winter weather. Old blades will not be able to adequately clear ice, sleet, or snow from your window. There are winter blades that you can use. A fresh pair of wipers will increase the visibility after you wipe down your windshield by reducing streaks. The top features of winter wiper blades include performing in extreme cold weather conditions up to -20 degrees Fahrenheit, shell protection that inhibits snow and ice buildup, and a special coating that provides more flexibility.
8. Test your Lights
One of the most important factors of driving in the winter, especially at night, is to have your car lights working in perfect condition. Over time, the lights on your vehicle can dim which will lower your visibility while driving. You should check all functions of the lights on your car including high beams, turn signals, hazards, breaks, etc. If you notice that your car lights aren't emitting as much light as usual you may need to clean them or replace the bulbs or wires.
9. Have a Winter Emergency Kit
It is great to prepare for the winter as much as possible, but there may be some scenarios where even the most prepared car may run into issues. This is why it is important to have a winter emergency kit ready to go in your car. Below is a list of a few things to have in your emergency kit for the winter:
- Flashlight
- First aid kit
- Ice scraper
- Jumper cables
- Blanket
- Gloves
- Water
- Phone charger
- Non-perishable snacks
- Basic toolkit
This is a basic list of a few things you should have in your car in case winter road conditions get out of hand. It is up to you what are the important things to pack, and the more the merrier!
10. Have Winter Vehicle Storage Lined Up
If you will be storing your car for the winter, you will have to make sure that you have the necessary storage options reserved. You can find traditional storage facilities through a simple google search that will pull up vehicle storage units near you. These options are more traditional storage options and can be pricey. You can use STOW IT to find the cheapest rates for car storage near you. This website offers an interactive map that allows you to search for storage units by location, making it easy to find availability near you. You can also message the owner or manager of the location to have one-on-one conversations to ensure the space works best for you. STOW IT works with those in your area with extra space to rent out for vehicle storage. Through STOW IT, you can find and book a reservation within ten minutes. These spaces are usually more affordable and closer to where you are located. You can view all of STOW It's availability here.