Preparing Your Vehicle and Tires for Winter

Safety Tips for This Winter

When fall comes to an end and winter is approaching, you need to begin to prepare your vehicle for the snowy streets and colder climate. Make sure you take the following steps to ensure that your vehicle is ready for the wintery roads that you are sure to encounter.

 

• Have the battery of your vehicle checked by a mechanic or a service shop. You want to make sure that your battery will be able to last through the winter season. A dead battery in the winter months can turn into a potentially life-threatening situation. If the mechanic or service center can’t ensure that your battery will make it through the winter months, it’s time to replace it with a new battery.

• When you activate your windshield washer pump, you don’t want your windshield icing over. To avoid this from happening, you need to replace your ordinary windshield wiper fluid with an anti-icing fluid. This fluid will help de-ice your windshield and will maintain visibility during snowy and icy conditions.

• After changing your windshield fluid, you want to make sure that your spray nozzles for the fluid are functioning properly and are pointed in the right direction. If one or both nozzles are not working properly, make sure you have them serviced before the harsh weather hits. If they are not aligned properly, adjust them so they spray where they are supposed to.

• Make sure that you check your roadside emergency kit. You’ll need to make sure that the kit is complete, nothing is missing, and everything in it is functioning properly. Replace the batteries in your kit with new ones and make sure the flashlights work.

• If you have summer tires on your car, replace them with tires that are specifically designed for winter driving. Make sure you properly store your summer tires when your winter tires are in use. When winter is over and you replace them with your summer tires, make sure that you properly store your winter tires so they are ready for the next winter season.

Getting your car ready for winter is a matter of safety. In some cases, it can be a matter of life or death. Make sure you take a few moments of your time to take the above steps to ensure that you and your family are safe on the roads during the harsh months of winter.