When it comes to Winter we know it is important to be prepared. Below is a list of action items to take for winter driving. Please note we HIGHLY recommend buying Winter Tires with the Mountain Peak Symbol.
1. Prepare for the Worst Winter
- As in any given situation you want to be prepared to tackle the worst especially when it comes to your vehicle in winter. We recommend researching your weather atlas for past winters in your area.
- Start off with an opportunity to succeed by purchasing winter tires with the mountain peak symbol.
2. Check your Anti-Freeze Before Winter Hits
- Making sure your anti-freeze is working can save you a lot of time and money down the road. If you want to check your anti-freeze yourself here is a quick reference link
- Before topping off any anti-freeze, we recommend flushing your car's coolant system and checking for leaks in the fall before the first freeze.
3. Have Your Car Battery Tested Before Winter
- Battery performance drops significantly in cold weather, so it is essential to check your peak performance. The winter weather makes it harder on the battery cells reducing the batteries performance.
4. Jumper Cables for Winter
- As we stated before the winter weather can be hard on your battery, so you want to make sure you have jumper cables readily available.
5. Protective Parking from Winter Conditions
- To help keep your vehicle out of the harsh conditions it is essential to park your truck in the garage or put a cover on the car.
6. Inspect your Heater Before Winter
- Seems like a no-brainer, but you want to make sure your defrost and heater are working correctly.
7. Inspect your Windshield Wipers Before Winter
- You want to make sure your windshield wipers are in tip-top condition if you are in an area that experiences rough winters. If you are already seeing cracks in your windshield wipers that is an immediate sign to replace them. We also recommend changing your windshield wiper fluid to ones that have antifreeze inside of the solution.
8. Check your Tread Depth Before Winter
- Before fall ends it is important to know how much traction you have left on your tires to make sure you are ready for winter. If you need to learn how to check your tire tread depth, you can go here. We highly recommend always purchasing winter ready tires.
9. Inspect your headlights and Brake Lights
- The last thing you want to happen is to be out in a storm and not be able to see.
10. Change to Winter Grade Oil Before Winter
- The colder the weather the thinner you want the oil in your engine to prevent freezing. So if you are using multi-grade 10W-30 oil (W stands for weather) and you are located in an area that typically freezes you may want to consider switching to 5W- 30 which has a lower viscosity (thickness).
11. Monitor Your Tire Pressure During Winter
- Actively checking your tire pressure during the winter and help prevent under-inflation and underperformance. If you need help on checking your tire you can read our other article of check tires air pressure here. People in winter conditions under 40 Degrees should at least have all season tires.
Extra Winter Driving Preparation
Winter Supply Box Ready
- In case of an emergency, you want to have your survival box readily available in your vehicle. This box could include road flares, warm clothes, food, water, flashlight, blankers, radio, cell phone chargers, etc.. As you can imagine these items ensure you can be safe if the worst happens.
Winter Sand Bag Weights
- Having two bags on hand could offer the weight needed on the back ends to prevent you from being stuck.
---
5 Tips For Driving In The Snow That Could Save Your Life - READ MORE
