How To Prep Your Car For Winter

As a car enthusiast who lives in the North East, I experience quite a bit of snow. Now that it is getting cold outside with temperatures reaching 34 degrees Fahrenheit last week in Pennsylvania, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about cars and winter safety.

Here are 10 ways to ensure that you and your car are ready for winter.

1. Purchase Winter Tires – This is the most important step. Winter Tires are tires that perform well in temperatures under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Almost everyone knows that All Wheel Drive and 4-Wheel Drive vehicles are superior in snow when compared to Rear Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive vehicles. Rear Wheel Drive is the worst setup for wet or icy conditions because of the lack of weight sitting on the rear wheels. In Snow, a Rear Wheel Drive car with snow tires WILL PERFORM BETTER than an all wheel drive car with summer tires. Snow tires make that huge of a difference and they are worth the cost. My front wheel drive lightweight Mazda2 was horrible in the snow. I purchased cheap snow tires that transformed my car for winter weather. I went from sliding in 1″ of snow to plowing through 7″ of snow in my little Mazda2. My literally felt invincible when I mounted snow tires on my car. If you have summer tires mounted to your car, try to avoid driving in temperatures under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. At those temperatures, the tires will easily lose grip and break loose. Inversely, driving with winter tires in warm temperatures is just as bad.
2. Get Your Paperwork Ready – There is always an increase in accidents during the winter time. Snow, ice, and black ice are some of the major culprits of winter-time car accidents. Make sure you have your car insurance and registration handy just incase you get into an accident.
3. Get Your Winter Gear Ready – Keep a small shovel in your car incase you get stuck somewhere. Make sure you have at least two ice scrapers – one in your car and one in your home. If the car is iced over, then you can’t get into your car to get the ice scraper. That is why having another one in your home is important. Store a blanket and jump starter in your car. You never know if you will be left freezing with a dead battery.
4. Check The Battery – Getting a battery test at your local auto parts store is free. Cold weather will drain your battery faster. Make sure your car has a healthy battery. Most car batteries last an average of 5 years, though my Mazda’s battery lasted 8 years and our Subaru Outback’s battery only lasted 3 years. You can also expect to see a build up of battery acid around the positive battery terminal. Simply rinse the terminal with a cup of hot water to wash away any battery acid. Some older batteries may require this simple maintenance trick every month during the winter.
5. Inspect Your Tires – Whether you chose the correct path of Winter Tires or you decided to stick to your All Season Tires, make sure your tires have enough tread for the snow. Inspect for even tread wear and optimum tire pressures. Examine the sidewall for dry cracks. A dry rotted tire is an old tire that needs to be replaced before it blows. Don’t use tire chains for better traction. Tire chains are illegal for consumer use in many states. They can damage your car or hurt nearby pedestrians if they fly off.
6. Replace Your Fluids – Some people run distilled water for their coolant system or tap water for their window washer system. This will freeze in winter temperatures. Your Window Washer Fluid should be replaced with Window De-Icer Fluid. Your Coolant should be a 50/50 AntiFreeze Solution. Depending on your car, a lighter weight oil may be recommended for winter. (5w for Winter vs 10w for Summer). Many newer cars will recommend you stick with 0w-20 all year around.
7. Replace Your Wipers – Did you know you can buy Snow Wipers? Similar to Winter Tires, the rubber compound on these wipers work best in cold temperatures under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow Wipers can do a better job of clearing snow and can resist tears from use on icy windshields.
8. Spray The Key Holes – If you have a car remote or keyless entry, you don’t need to worry about this. This is more applicable on older vehicles. When you know a freezing rain event is coming, it is a good practice to spray the door or trunk key-holes with de-icer fluid. Back in high school, I was trapped outside my 1996 Mazda Protege because the keyhole opening was frozen closed. I couldn’t insert the car key to unlock the door.
9. Remote Start – The Remote Start is a popular upgrade for winter weather. It is a feature that allows you to remotely start your car, in most cases, up to 30 feet away. Many high-end vehicles may come with remote start from the factory while others will offer it as a $300-500 dealer installed option or not at all. You can also go aftermarket and purchase a remote start kit from BestBuy or Amazon, though it is always best to fork up the money at the dealership for a reliable remote start system. This upgrade is not necessary, but it helps to have your car warm up and defrost the windows while you get ready for work.
10. Protect Your Car From Road Salt – It is no surprise that north eastern cars have more rust and corrosion than cars from the south and west. Road salt may be needed for road safety, but it is a car killer. Give your car a corrosion proof coating. Any detail shop can do this for you. Wash your car at the automatic car wash at least once a week when driving on salted roads. Avoid washing your car at home because you don’t want the run off water to turn into ice on your driveway or sidewalk.