Before the winter months get here, it is important to perform car maintenance to ensure that it stays healthy through the cold weather. This will minimise the potential of ending up on the side of the road, frozen like a icicle, or have a holiday event ruined because of a broken down car. Taking the time to look under the hood is essential to ensure that all the components are ready for the cold months ahead.
One of the easiest ways to perform car maintenance before winter is to keep a regular maintenance log. This will provide an up-to-date reference on what maintenance items need to be performed during the season, and throughout the entire year.
Winter Specific Maintenance
Driving in the cold days of winter can cause the car to behave differently. Having to deal with colder temperatures and wintry icy roads can cause substantial hazards. However, by having the car properly maintained, you can minimise much of the potential of getting into trouble. Winter specific maintenance should include :
Checking the Anti-freeze
The anti-freeze inside the radiator is a crucial component to winter protection for your vehicle. The radiator should contain a mixture of 50 percent anti-freeze and 50 percent water. Make sure that the radiator level is full, and that the mixture is at a ratio of 50 to 50. Vehicle repair centres provide a service to check the mixture for free, or a tester can be purchased for a small cost.
Inspect the Tyres
Having bald tyres during the winter months can be a life-threatening proposition, if the wheels cannot properly hold the road in icy conditions. If the tread is less than 1.5mm, it is important to have new tyres installed.
Replace the Wipers
Even though you use the windshield wipers a lot during the rainy season of the spring and summer, properly working windshield wipers is essential during the winter months. Ensuring that the wipers are in proper working order will provide a clean windshield under the worst driving conditions.
Check the Fluid
Windshield washer fluid is essential to ensure that the windshield will remain sparkly clean even under hazardous driving conditions. Driving behind other vehicles, especially semi-trucks and large SUVs, can quickly make a clean windshield impossible to see through. Ensuring that the washer fluid reservoir is completely filled with washer fluid only, will minimise its potential of freezing even on the coldest day.
In addition to performing car maintenance before the winter months, consider the annual procedures including cleaning the battery posts, inspecting spark plugs and wires, along with checking the oil and inspecting the brakes.
Taking safety precautions during the cold winter months is essential to ensure your traveling remains safe. The above steps can minimise any problems you will have on the roads, even under the most hazardous conditions.
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