As the weather gets colder, it is even more important to take good care of your vehicle due to varying road conditions and harsher weather overall, which can impact your vehicle drastically.
Whether you drive a truck, SUV, or sedan, there are many steps you can take as a driver to make sure your vehicle is prepared for the cold, winter months. These steps promote driver safety and vehicle safety, and will help to keep your vehicle running smoothly all winter long.
5 Ways to Winterize Your Vehicle
1. Protect your paint
Salt, snow, and rain can all severely damage the paint on your vehicle, ultimately leading to potential rust and further damage beneath the surface. Whether you go through the car wash or hand wash with a bucket of soapy water, cleaning your car’s exterior will prevent serious damage. In addition, opt in for a wax finish at the car wash or apply a coat of car wax spray to further protect your vehicle during the harsh winter months.
2. Replace your wiper blades
During the winter, it is essential to keep your windshield clean due to changing weather and visibility issues in the snow and rain. If you notice your wipers leaving streaks or being extra noisy, try adding more wiper fluid. If that doesn’t work, it is most likely your wiper blades needing to be replaced.
3. Check your tire pressure
With the cold comes severe drops in temperature, which is terrible for your tires. With every ten degree drop in temperature comes a drop in tire pressure by 1psi. This is extremely dangerous which is why a driver should constantly check their tire pressure and purchase a portable air compressor in case of emergencies.
4. Switch to snow tires
Many vehicles struggle in the snow due to lessened traction on their tires. If this is you, check your tire tread with the Penny Test to see if they have enough to drive. If not, opt in for some new winter tires to increase traction, safety, and flexibility through the snow. The special tread patterns on winter tires have wide grooves which help expel water in slippery and dangerous driving conditions.
5. Add a DIY De-Ice Mix to your morning routine
Winter means it’s time for scraping ice off your windshield every morning. To make removing the ice easier, make this De-Ice Mix to spray on your windshield each morning. Simply mix 1 part water and 3 parts vinegar into a spray bottle and apply on your windshield. It will help prevent ice and frost from future buildup, as well as lessen the amount of scraping to do.
Prepping Your Vehicle at Lynch
In addition to these DIY winterization tricks, stop by any of our 7 convenient Lynch locations for information on our services or to schedule your next service.
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