Get Your Car Ready for Cold Weather
Winter is almost here and colder weather can present certain unique challenges when it comes to operating your automobile. Is your car ready for winter? Taking steps to make sure your car is cold weather ready can help keep you out of potentially dangerous situations later on. Since many families (including mine) tend to take longer road trips during the holidays, having your vehicle in tip-top shape is essential for the safety of your family. Before you head out onto the road, take a few steps to make sure your car is prepared for cold weather.
Make sure your battery is in top shape.
Starting your car in frigid temps takes a lot of juice and if your battery is ready to die, the cold weather may just push it over the edge. Better to have it checked by a professional and replaced if necessary than be stranded with a car that won’t start.
Make sure you can see clearly.
Old wipers will not clear snow or salt as well as new ones will. Wipers made specifically for winter weather can handle the harsher conditions and corrosive salt spray that gets kicked up. Also be sure to add plenty of winter washer fluid to your reservoir and consider keeping an extra gallon in the trunk for refills. Driving with a reduced field of vision is a recipe for disaster.
Check your tires.
Tires need to have a good amount of tread in order to grip the road in snowy or icy conditions. In addition to tread depth, check your tire pressure often. Changing temperatures can affect tire pressure and result in low pressure during cold weather. Personally, I prefer switching over to winter tires during the cold months as I see a significant improvement in traction and control.
Plan for the worst.
Hopefully, you will never be in the position of being stuck or stranded in frigid temperatures, but carrying supplies just in case is a smart idea. I have a plastic container with extra hats and gloves, hand warmers, snacks, and bottled water that I keep in my car at all times. I also have an extra wool blanket in my trunk.
Have a professional look over your vehicle.
While checking the tires is probably something you can do yourself, having a professional check your battery, breaks, fluid levels, and even replace your wipers for you is a good thing to do before heading out on a winter road trip. When it comes to finding someone reliable and trustworthy to look at your car, think about using a TECHNET shop. TECHNET shops are local, family owned and independent and can personalize your service experience to fit exactly what you need. Plus you are supporting your own community and a local small business owner, two things that are important to me.
You can locate a local TECHNET shop near you on their website. I was thrilled to see that there are many within just a short drive from my house including the shop we use regularly. You can also connect and learn more on Facebook and Twitter.
What steps do you take to get your car ready for cold weather? Share them below!
These are all great tips for keeping the car prepared and ready for winter.
The battery tip is great !
Great tips for those who live in the snowy weather states/areas. I’d also recommend to have an ice scraper, extra gloves, cardboard box (to kneel on when you need to install chains) and a shovel in the trunk when you are out driving. You never know if you need those when you are not home.
These are really great tips. I live in Florida so we don’t so much to prep for winter.
I too live in Wisconsin – it is FREEZING here! I always warm up my car – my Jeep needs to sit a while before I make her move when it is so cold outside!
In Texas we rarely have cold harsh weather. I normally make sure I have my ice scraper ready and learn where the defrost button is.
Thanks for the good tips. Living in Arizona it doesn’t get as cold, but does get cold here.
We have had a fairly mild winter so far but that just changed. I just had to check the air in my tires because when it got colder they went flat!
I think checking your tires is always very important regardless of the weather. This tips are great! Thanks!
I haven’t checked my car to see if it is winter ready. I have been lucky so far.
Very good advice. Ours is ready.
I didn’t know warming the car could be illegal. Who knew to check?
Great tips. Having a good battery is key because they can really take a beating with the cold temps in the north.
One thing I can do to get my car ready for winter is to check the tread and tire pressure of my tires.
definitely never needed to do any cold weather preparation while living in California, but since living in NY; wow!
I noticed the tire pressure on the tires this winter while driving a friend’s car.
thank you for the tips!
Tires are SO important during winter and even summer! I know that I need to get mine looked at.
my car ready for winter
There’s so much you could do. Important to us, is making sure the wiper blades work and are new, and the oil is replaced every certain amount of miles and the tires have good tread!
I always make sure that I have bottles of water in the car in case we get stranded for a long period.
Checked the tires and they looked scary so just had 4 new tires put on the car.
One thing I learned (and luckily already do) is to check the tread and pressure on your tires to get them ready for winter temperatures.
Check your tires!
It is the worst thing to have bad wipers in a snowstorm, so I always try to make sure mine are in good shape.
Fortunately my car always tells me if my tire pressure is low, which happens when it first gets cold here, so I can maintain my tires throughout the season.
I like checking to make sure your batter is in top shape
I am a big planner so planning for the worst is a great tip! And checking the battery!
I put different windshield washer fluid and winter wiper blades on my car to prepare for winter!
I agree, checking your tires and making sure you have enough air in them.
Our winters are not too bad but we get ready by checking all the fluids and changing the oil. I also make sure there is a blanket in the trunk just in case.
Checked tires. Thanks for chance.
check your tires
I think it’s a good tip/reminder to check your tires. We checked ours this fall and realized we needed new tires before the winter weather.
I did not know that in some areas it is illegal to let your car warm up.
make sure you have wiper fluid – windows seem to get so dirty in the winter
I always check my fluids, battery, and tires in the winter.
I get my oil changed and make sure my battery is charged.
I learned at an early age to always make sure you have antifreeze if your car and always make sure you warm your vehicle up. Make sure you have good wipers, make sure you have a good battery too. and always have a flash light and blankets in your vehicle for just in case.
I pack a box full of warm clothing, some snacks and a first aid kit. I hope and pray that I never have to use it, but always want to be prepared.
Great tips. It doesn’t snow where I live. But I do check tires and windshield wipers for when we get rain.
Make sure your battery is in top shape!
Having extra hats and gloves is a great idea! I would throw some old hoodies and snowpants in as well. A week ago my cars gas gage wasn’t working and I ran out of gas! Mind you it was below 20 out! Luckily my fiancé came and saved me!
Make sure you life your wipers if you are expecting snow!!!
have to check my tires! this scared me
I recommend having an ice scrapper and brush to get ice and snow off the windshield of your car.
Living in snowy Ma, I always, always, always have my tires checked and if they show extra wear I change them.
It reminded me to have the washer fluid filled up and maybe some extra on hand.
All great tips. Checking your tires is especially a good one bc people forget.
Check your tires.
I keep extra wiper fluid in the car.
I definitely make sure I have plenty of below zero washer fluid so I can see clearly!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Make sure you properly inflate your tires.
check all fluids
Make sure your battery is in top shape.
i can check my tire pressure
Care ready preparations include blankets and emergency kits with jumper cables and a check of tires and batteries
I know I can be better at checking my tire pressure
I like the tip on making sure you can see out of your car clearly. Living in Florida, You don’t deal with frost very often.
I always check my tires.
Don’t forget to change the oil and keep the window-washing liquid container full.
I get me fluids checked and my winter tires put on
I don’t have a car
I should have made sure my battery was in top shape because right now my car will not start because of the battery, why didn’t i see this blog post 2 days ago….awwwwwwww
check the tread on your tires
we get our tires checked
check the oil
I put a blanket, extra pair of gloves and a hat in the car in case I get stuck I can keep warm in case I get stuck.
These are great tips. I can easily check my wipers and tires, but I confess all else is done by my husband.
That is a good tip regarding having your battery checked out by a professional before cold weather starts.
I live in Southern California so thankfully I don’t have to worry about this!
Car maintenance is an often-overlooked aspect of car ownership, but it is absolutely essential for keeping our cars running smoothly and safely. I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment that regular car maintenance is key to extending the lifespan of our car and avoiding costly repairs down the road.