In this article, I give you tips on how to equip your car during cold winter days. Cold weather announces winter driving conditions for which it is necessary to prepare the car specially. For many, preparing vehicles for winter means preparing with snow, however, snowfall is not the only thing you need to protect your four-wheeler from.
Below zero temperatures, ice, precipitation, and fog, make driving in the winter unpredictable, which is why it is very important that you can rely on your car. The period of preparing the vehicle for the winter requires certain investments, which will help you see the condition of your car, how many more seasons you need to invest in it, and whether you can sell the old car because it’s time for a new one.
Installation of winter tires – the primary item in preparation
When it comes to winter driving, the first thing everyone starts preparing for is setting up winter tires. Apart from the fact that the replacement of tires is legally conditioned, it is also very important for the safety of the car. Regardless of whether it is snowing or not, you will need winter tires, because except for snowfall, they are needed for temperatures below 7 degrees, because they will remain soft even at low temperatures.
When changing tires, it is mandatory to change all four. The combination of 2 winters + 2 summer tires, apart from being illegal, significantly endangers your safety. Also, make sure that your tires are not torn, or that they have the same pattern because that also has an impact on safe driving in the winter months.
Prepare the plastic and rubber parts of your car for the cold
Before the arrival of low temperatures, it is very important to coat all plastic and rubber parts of your car with a product that contains glycerin, or similar products that your car mechanics can recommend. In this way, you will protect the coated surfaces from the negative effects that low temperatures can have on them.
Also, you can pour a few drops into the locks, which would also be good to spray with anti-freeze spray. Another useful tip is to check the wiper blades. If they do not adhere properly to the glass and if they are worn, it would be best to replace them. This small investment will greatly contribute to visibility, ie safer driving.
During the period when the temperatures are below zero, have a spray for quick defrosting of the windows in the car, as well as a suitable plastic ice scraper. Add new windshield washer fluid, but make sure it is for winter conditions so that it does not freeze at low temperatures.
A car mechanic who changes tires
Take the car for a technical inspection, check from the bodywork to the brakes.
It would be best to use the period before the first snow to have your car inspected by a car mechanic. He should pay attention to all the damage to the car’s sheet metal. Frost, and especially when mixed with snow, can do great damage to the car, so it is very important that the bodywork does not have “critical points” that will start firing first.
The same goes for the exhaust system. If you can already see the corrosion with the naked eye, it will be necessary for the master to determine the condition of your exhaust and to intervene if necessary. All lights as well as direction indicators should be included in the checklist.
Brake check is synonymous with safety
Wet roads, salt, and dust are the biggest enemies of the lower part of the car. In winter, all these negative items are significantly increased, so then the poor maintenance of this part comes to fruition at the worst possible time. That is why checking the brakes is very important before the start of the winter season.
Engine and battery protection – vital organs of your vehicle
During winter driving, one of the most important items is to secure the engine of your vehicle. Therefore, carefully check and choose the antifreeze that you will pour into it. Also, it is very important to do it on time, ie not to wait for the first frost to pour it. The best types of antifreeze have the lowest freezing point and corrosion protection.
In winter, it is also necessary to check and maintain the battery, but also to replace it on time. Due to the heating, ie the climate much more is spent in winter than when the weather is warm. It is advisable to turn on the lights, wipers, or heaters first, before starting the car. The reason for this is that they “pull” electricity more.
Use of additives
The recommendation for vehicles using diesel fuel is to use antifreeze additives. In addition to this type of protection, the additives enable easier starting of the vehicle, removal of water from the fuel, better lubrication and cleaning of the fuel system, and many other advantages that will make it easier for you to drive in the winter.
The most important thing when preparing a vehicle for winter is to do everything on time. In addition to the fact that the date for changing tires is set by law, your safety and safe driving are the most important laws you need to follow, and you will do that by securing your vehicle.
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