As winter approaches, here are 30 things you must do when preparing your car for winter:
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- Tire tread
- Winter Survival kit
- The battery
- Battery terminals checking
- Battery terminals protection
- Window tracks
- Weatherstripping
- Door locks
- Latches and hinges
- And more!
Winter can be a big headache to many people, especially when driving. There are a lot of risks of slipping or getting involved in car accidents, but it's not rare to see a ton of people pulled over on the highway dealing with major cars problems. We are very familiar with the issues related to the battery, but there are other things that you need to consider when preparing your car for winter.
This article provides you with 30 tips that you should implement to prevent starting issues, problems with engine freezing, issues with frozen doors and windows, and much more! Keep in mind that no matter how much you prepare a car, if your vehicle is not in good condition, it could be the perfect timing to sell your car and buy a better one that could help you through the coming harsh winter.
If you're planning to sell your car today, we're more than happy to help you and over it takes to is a quick conversation with our team at 866-924-4608.
Preparing your car for winter: 30 things you must do
Our team conducted an in-depth review of all available advisors by automotive experts regarding how to prepare your car for winter. Some of these tips are a must, while others are more optional, depending on how severe the winter in your area is.
Let's take a closer look below:
1. Tire tread
One of the first and most important things you must inspect and confirm is your vehicle's tire tread. The thread is the main feature That allows your tire to grip the road so your vehicle doesn't slip. There are a lot of online methods for checking your tire trade and making sure that it's not putting you in legal trouble. One of these methods is the penny method, where you must insert a penny inside the treads and confirm that you're not seeing the whole head outside of the tread.
2. Winter Survival kit
Depending on how harsh winter is in your area, you might want to consider investing in a small winter Survival kit. You never know when emergencies happen, and some of these kits do not necessarily have to be containing food. Instead, it could be related to simple elements that you might need to use to get your vehicle out of an emergency, like a jumpstart or other elements.
3. The battery
You are probably aware of the major car battery problems that many people deal with before and even winter. Therefore, before we go deeper in the winter season, it is recommended that you inspect the car battery and confirm that it's not to end approaching the end of its lifetime. Typically, that lasts between three and five years, and if you know that your vehicle is old enough, it could be the time to replace it before dealing with major issues during the winter season.
4. Battery terminals checking
Sometimes batteries problems are not necessarily related to the battery itself. For example, it could be that the terminals are dirty, which means that they have a lot of rust building upon them. When this happens, they lose their efficiency, and that's why you can deal with some starting issues related to the battery.
Therefore, it is recommended that you inspect the terminals and confirm no rust on them. If you realize that rust is building out, you need to clean them up. Note that if the terminals are broken, you must leave them to professionals because there's a very high chance of hazardous situations impacting your life.
5. Battery terminals protection
Since the battery terminals are susceptible to rust issues, some water experts recommend using protective sprays that you can put under the terminals to build carbon. But, again, check what's available in the market and consider reviewing each product's main pros and cons before you use them.
6. Window tracks
One of the worst things that you can deal with during the winter season is frozen windows here; therefore, you cannot avoid dealing with these issues and prevent costly repairs; it is not a member that you performed a simple temperature using a certain spray that lubricates your window tracks and prevents water from freezing in these trucks.
7. Weatherstripping
The weatherstripping around your vehicle's exterior can be one of the main causes of winter troubles. Therefore, take a closer look at these robbery components and confirm that there are no chests for water to leak and freeze within these stripping. You might want to lubricate them using a certain silicone material spray, and this way, you don't have to deal with isolating up between them during the whole winter season.
8. Door locks
Like the weather stripping, you can also lubricate the door locks and prevent eyes from building up inside them. This way, you don't have to deal with frozen doors where you can't insert the key or turn it to start the car.
9. Latches and hinges
And other components that many drivers might underestimate are the latches and hinges. Those also can get damaged or impacted by the freezing water that could fall on them. Therefore, consider lubing them to prevent corrosion and allow your vehicle to work properly without any complications.
10. Winter tires
If you don't already know, tires are not all the same. There are some specific tires designed specifically for winter. Those tires come with a deeper tread and a better performance that allows your vehicle to grip the road without any issues. However, unless your winter is harsh, it might not be worth investing in those. Therefore we recommend that you evaluate and confirm that it's worth the investment by purchasing winter tires.
There are plenty available all-season tires that are higher quality than regular tires, but they can serve you the entire season, so you don't have to worry about replacing the tires between now and then.
11. The coolant
It might sound that engine overheating is a summer problem, but that's not the case because it is a very common problem during the winter season. Therefore, consider checking the coolant and confirming that you're not dealing with any internal or external leaks. Once you fix the leaks, consider checking how much coolant you need to stop off, so you don't deal with engine overheating
12. . Wiper blades
Again, there are some specific wiper blades designed for the winter season and if you feel that you need those, consider checking their main characteristics to see whether you want to invest in them or not. They'll provide you with good benefits that could help you clean any eyes or snow accumulating on your vehicle's windshield.
13. Hood lifts
The hood lifts are also on our submitted by many drivers. Consider checking them and see if they are not a condition where you need to either replace them or repair them.
14. Cabin air filter
The cabin air filter is responsible for allowing you to breathe really good air, and it has to do with the performance of your AC system. Therefore, consider checking the cabin air filter and either clean it up or replace it if necessary.
15. Survival kits
Other survival kits might be needed, especially if your winter is harsh. There are plenty available ready-to-use survival kits in the market, but there are ones that you can customize yourself depending on your needs and goals.
16. Heaters
In certain emergencies, our vehicles might not even work at all. Therefore, some of my experts recommended that having a candle-powered heater inside your car might be very handy and can save you a ton of hassle.
17. Flashlights
A small LED flashlight can come in very handy in the winter season. Try having one in your vehicle, and you'll see how important it is once you use it.
18. Phone chargers
While most of us maintain a good charge in our phones, there are some instances where we need a charger, and having an extra one in your car is extremely recommended so you can reach out to help in case of emergencies.
19. A pen and a notepad
Yes, a mark might sound a little silly, but you never know why you would need them. If your phone is dead and you got involved in a situation where you need a pen and paper, these will also come in handy.
20. Air compressor
When dealing with flat tires, you need to have very handy tools in your vehicle. Having a simple small air compressor is very important because it can get you out of an emergency without investing a ton on roadside assistance. You don't have to purchase the most expensive one but have a good one that is good enough to Inflate your tire.
21. Toolkits
Even if you don't have mechanical experience, you will need simple tools like a player, a small wrench, or even a small screwdriver. Of course, you never know why and when you'll need those, but they are still recommended.
22. Safety absorbent
Some automotive experts recommend having a safety observant in your vehicle. You can find some customized examples on Amazon, and they should not cost you more than $20, but some other people might use cat litter inside the vehicle.
23. First aid kits
First aid kits are very important during the winter season, and even if you didn't have one before, considering one before winter hits is extremely useful.
24. Gloves and hats
In some situations, you might get to a point where you need to stay in the vehicle for a long time and where the vehicle doesn't start. If that happens, having a glove in hats helps you stay warm and prevent any complications due to the cold weather.
25. Small warm blanket
Like the gloves and hats, having a small blanket that doesn't take a lot of space inside your vehicle can also be extremely useful, especially if you get stuck in the vehicle for a long time. This also is very important when you're driving with kids.
26. Extra snacks
Speaking of kids, if you're planning to drive kids for a long time and you know that your vehicle might not serve you as it should, consider having some snacks that do not require refrigerating or have a long expiration time.
27. Water
Although when it's very cold outside, water can freeze, consider having a couple of bottles of water inside your car in cases of emergencies.
28. Jump cables
What's more important than having a pair of jump cables inside your vehicle? Imagine if your battery dies suddenly and you get stuck; what will you do? If you feel that your value might have major problems continuously, it might be worth investing in a standalone jump cable that does not require a power source from a different vehicle so you can get your vehicle started without needing to stop anybody else on the road.
29. Shovel
Driving in snow, especially if you don't have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, can be challenging. So imagine if your car gets stuck on snow, and you need to get it out; hold handy it is to have a foldable shovel inside your car?
30. Fix a flat
Fix-a-flat is a very common commercial product that allows you to fix your time without needing to. You can spray inside, take care of minor holes, and get you enough time to reach the mechanic shop without needing to replace the tire or request roadside assistance.
Preparing your car for winter: final thoughts
This article provided you with 30 things to consider when preparing your car for winter. While these things will help prevent sudden winter breakdowns, if your car is not in good condition, you might want to replace it with a better vehicle to serve your winter.
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