Get Your Car Ready for Winter
Winter will be here soon. The winter road conditions make driving more difficult and it will also be more difficult for your vehicle to work properly. If you are shopping for a new car, look for a model that can handle winter weather and that has all season tires on it already. If you already have a vehicle, it's time to prepare it. There are many things you can do to prepare your vehicle and your self now for winter driving.
- Tires are one of the most important things to make driving safer on winter roads. You should use snow tires or all season tires. All season tires provide better handling and braking. Snow tires are even better if you live in an area that gets heavy snow. Check your tire pressure and make sure your tires are in good condition and aren't worn out. Also, make sure that you have a good quality spare and changing tools in your trunk.
- Make sure you are up to date with your regular servicing. If not, get a full pre-winter check up.
- Make sure your coolant is full, it should be 50% antifreeze and 50% water. Replace your wipers if they are worn and make sure your washer fluid is filled up. It's a good idea to keep extra washer fluid in your trunk just in case.
- Check the systems you haven't been using during the summer such as the heater, defroster and your 4 wheel drive system to make sure they are still working.
- Have a good winter emergency kit with basic necessities such as a flashlight, first-aid kit, jumper cables, blanket, snow/ice scraper, bottled water, packaged food, gravel, small shovel, matches, etc. It's also good to have a cell phone in case of an emergency and try to keep your gas tank in least half full.
- Keep your car clean. The snow, salt and muck can really mess up the inside and outside of your vehicle. Protect the floor with rubber mats. Protect the outside of your car by rust proofing it and keeping it clean.
A remote car starter is a convenient gadget that enables you to warm up your car before leaving the warmth of your home/office. There are a wide variety of remote starters to choose from. Some need to be installed for you and there are some that you can install yourself. Then you just press a button on the remote control to start the car. Some also come with other added features.
In addition to preparing your car, it's also important to adjust your driving habits. Be alert, drive slower and more cautiously. Keep more distance from other vehicles. Check the weather conditions before going out and allow for extra travel time if the roads are bad. Clear all of the snow off of the entire vehicle, not just the windows. Snow from the roof could fall down onto your windshield while you are driving and reduce your visibility.
If you get stuck, it's safest to stay in the vehicle a call for help. Keep warm and hydrated. Make sure exhaust pipe is clear of snow and keep a window open a crack for fresh air. If you can't call for help or you want to try to get yourself out, try to remove as much snow from around the tires as you can if you have a shovel. If you have gravel or salt, put some in front of the tires that are stuck. Press the gas slowly and try to move forward. If you have someone with you they can push the car from behind.
Published on Friday, October 10, 2008 - Email to a friend
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