Top 5 Tips and Tricks to Get Your Car Ready for Winter

As we all know, winter is coming. Winter looks different even within a country. For those of us who have to deal with the hurdles of snow and ice, this is for you. Winter might be the harshest season on your car. Cold, frost, and ice will make driving challenging and protect your vehicle. We’ll give you a complete guide on what can be done preventively to facilitate the transition between hot and cold. Here you’ll find ways you can improve your preparation to face the task of driving in winter. As always, safety comes first; stay home when you can. If not possible, read the following tips and tricks.

1. Choose the Right Type of Tire

Firstly, you need to know if your country has a particular regulation for winter tires. Some countries accept four-season tires, and others require you have only winter tires. Obviously, having two sets of tires is expensive, but you need to respect the requirements of the law. Although it might not be obligatory, we strongly suggest you invest in winter tires to keep yourself safe.

Replacing tires and inspecting parts of the car underneath to make sure all mechanical parts are functioning properly requires a sturdy car hoist. These hoists have advanced safety features, so you don’t have to worry about making a mistake or mess. It is very easy to use and will make your work much easier. With the options WorkshopEquipmentStore has to offer, you would find one that allows you to both save money and spend more on getting the right tires.

Once you have the proper tires, you will need to ensure the tread is deep enough to help with the traction on ice. If your tread is too thin, it might slip where black ice can be found. Also, verify the pressure of your tires at least once a month during colder months (this should be every time of year, though). Temperature affects the air pressure inside your tire, and a deflated tire will cause the car to skid. Plus, you will consume more gas, and with the prices inflating, it’s the easiest way to save money and keep safe this winter.

2. Prepare the Exterior

As we said earlier, winter is hard on your car. To be as prepared as possible, you need to check simple things before the frost appears. Something we casually overlook is the quality of the wiper blades. Manufacturers have thought this out for us and made special winter blades. They help with the ice that can build up on your windshield when the temperature drops. Going with this step, you should fill up your windshield washer tank and keep a full jug in your car. Defrosting your windshield with the washer is an easy way to accelerate the process, but it requires a lot of liquid. You do not want to miss out on the washer while driving. Remember, there is also a winter windshield washer that can tolerate colder temperatures.

We’ll also add this simple trick: lubricate your car’s latches and door locks. You’ll thank us when it’s time to get fast in your vehicle while hail goes down.

You will need to verify the state of your battery and brakes. The battery helps start your car, and the cold settling in your engine will need a lot of power. Therefore, test your battery to make sure it properly charges and keeps its charge. As for the brakes, it’s safe to say they need to be functional, as the surface may be covered in ice. With that said, make sure they are braking correctly because you will need them to do so this winter.

Lastly, think about lighting. Once winter comes around, it gets darker sooner, at least in the northern hemisphere. We suggest you use LED lights or Silverstar lights to maintain good vision while it’s dark outside. While the snow will reflect your lights, better lighting will help with the black ice- and snow-covered road.

3. Supplies

It’s fine if you want to think this could never happen to you, but e suggest you prepare for the worst when talking about winter. Getting stuck in a snowbank when it’s cold outside is no joke. So, you might want to gather some supplies in your trunk. Don’t underestimate ice, and it will affect your driving. In your driveway, you can heavily sprinkle sand or cat litter (yes, cat litter) around your tires to help with traction. Salt is valuable, too, depending on the temperature; too cold makes more ice by melting the water and freezing again if you don’t get it out in time.

Make sure you have a shovel to take the snow away from the front of your car if you are stuck in a snowbank or your car is stuck under a pile of snow. Also, jumper cables are a must. As said earlier, your battery will be overworked when winter comes; having the cables will either help you or a friend.

Finally, non-perishable food, water, and winter clothes are a must. Being stranded, even for a small moment, can be stressful; having these items can help you be more relaxed while waiting on AAA. If you want to go the extra mile, having blankets, snow pants, gloves, and hats might be a good idea.

4. Protect your Car

Scrapping ice off your car is as fun as shoveling snow, meaning not at all. There are several ways you can protect your vehicle from scratches or even reduce the scrapping time. That being said, if you have access to a garage, we strongly suggest you put your car inside. Not having to take ice and snow off your vehicle will help protect your car. If you don’t have access to a garage, maybe a temporary shelter or car cover would be the second-best solution.

This may be an extra step, but doing a protective wax treatment or rust-proofing your car should help with the longevity of your car paint. Although it is costly, so is a new paint job—food for thought.

5. Prepare the Interior

We haven’t talked about this, but calcium buildup is natural during winter. Do not, we repeat, do not superimpose carpets! Either choose plastic mats for winter or keep your fabric carpet; it’s one or the other. You could block your pedals with a thick carpet, which is not something you want to happen on slippery roads.

These might seem obvious, but not using your heater during summer may cause it to malfunction early in the winter. You can prevent this by testing it preventively. The same goes for your windows. Please make sure they’re airtight; you don’t want cold air to enter your car and make it colder inside.

Last Words

There are no foolproof ways to make sure you’re sufficiently prepared for winter, as it is a tricky season. It would be best if you remembered that you have to keep yourself safe, and these were the ways we thought of to ensure this. Your priority should be to prepare your battery, brakes, and wipers, as they’ll be most problematic if they don’t function properly. We’d like you to consider buying a second set of tires, winter tires, to add an extra safety net to your winter experience.