Unfortunately, summer isn’t going to last forever, and the weather will soon begin to change. Of course, this means that the wonderful heat we have been enjoying will give way to cold autumnal winds, and after that an even colder winter climate will take a hold, which will bring with it a bout of snow for many. As a driver, this isn’t good news. The cold wreaks havoc on cars, rendering some completely useless over the freezing season.
Fear not, because there are a number of ways to prepare your car for the devastation that the dropping temperatures and changing climate will cause to it. Here are six of these ways.
Have your car professionally serviced
To give your car the best chance possible of handling all the problems that the cold is set to throw at it, it has to be looked at and tended to by a professional mechanic. So, especially if it is due one, get it serviced. In a service, your car will be checked over in regards to its readiness for icy roads and other difficult-to-navigate terrains, as well as be tested for the likelihood of breaking down.
Top up your engine coolant with antifreeze
When the summer is well and truly over, and you can feel the temperatures dropping, you should be topping up your car’s engine coolant with antifreeze. Doing so will prevent water from freezing at a time of the year when it is likely to do so if left untended, and it will also raise the engine’s boiling point to stop it from overheating at any point.
When you do top up with antifreeze, make sure you create a solution that is half antifreeze, half water. If this isn’t the case, then the coolant can become over-diluted, which, more than likely, will then result in it freezing and leaving you with a pretty hefty repair bill as you seek to fix your engine.
Tend to your tyres
The importance of tending to your tyres and ensuring that they are winter ready is of the utmost importance. This is because they are quintessential when it comes to steering and braking, and if they can’t do these jobs properly during a time where the roads are going to be as dangerous as ever, then you are instantly placed in a whole heap of danger.
First, you should consider getting specially designed winter tyres, as they would offer you an increased advantage when you come to driving through ice or slush. You should then focus on checking your tyres for pressure and tread depth, ensuring that they reach a minimum of 3mm of depth to give you a better grip.
Your tyres need to be in top working condition if you want to stand any chance of getting through the winter without having any problems with or because of them, so, maybe even above all else, make sure that you tend to them.
Don’t forget your windshield
The windshield is often a part of their cars that drivers forget to tend to because they forget just how important they are. If they are, for whatever reason and in whatever way, compromised, they can become a serious hazard due to the way visibility is worsened. If there’s one thing that you don’t need in the winter, it’s your visibility while driving being worsened! So, don’t forget to tend to your windshield by giving it a thorough clean inside and out, by fixing its wipers and making them as strong as can be, and by filling your windshield fluid up. Also, always make sure that you fight the urge to de-freeze your windows on cold mornings using boiling hot water. No matter how quick a method this may be, it could cause them to crack while you are driving and possibly injure you or anybody else that is in your car with you.
Pack a breakdown kit in your car
Preparing for the absolute worst case scenario is what you need to do when you come to packing a breakdown kit in your car. You should include everything from a shovel to a torch to a blanket to a high-visibility vest to even food and drink in this kit because, the fact is, you don’t know what could happen every time you set off on a journey in cold climates. You could end up getting stuck anywhere, and having the right tools to either protect you or help you get free ready and waiting for you in your car is vital.
Know what to do should things go wrong
To prepare your car for the cold in the best way possible, you, yourself, have to be prepared. To the point, you have to prepare yourself for the possibility of things going wrong, and you have to know how to deal with every problem that you are likely to be faced with. Doing that is the only way you are going to stand a chance of staying calm enough to fix any problems that occur should or when they do so.
For instance, you should prepare yourself for your battery giving up on you at some point over the winter, thanks to the fact that the cold weather certainly does not agree with that particular part of your car. It could mean learning about the aspirin in battery technique, which involves crushing up 12 pills and adding them to the cells of your battery, or it could involve learning how to correctly use Epsom salt to trigger a reaction within your battery and get it running again. Whatever you think is vital enough information to know in regards to preparing for the worst to happen, make sure you brush up on it.
Readying your car for the cold months of winter is pivotal if you want to come out the other end unscathed in regards to your health, the condition of your car and your bank balance. So, as the temperatures drop, start putting the advice above into practice.