Best Ways to take care of your Car in the Winter
Best Ways to take care of your Car in the Winter
Posted on December 7, 2021
Even a relatively mild winter can cause serious problems for your car if it's not properly prepared and maintained for the colder weather. Dark days, freezing temperatures, and slippery surfaces can all take their toll on your vehicles engineering and electronics, and if the worst happens and your car breaks down, being stranded in a snow storm can be much more serious than having a problem in the summer months.
Winter car care and maintenance is vital to prevent this from happening, and while our Duncan service centre can ensure your vehicle is in the best shape to weather the winter without problems, there's also plenty you can do yourself. Here are six of the most important winter car care tips we recommend that you follow to give your vehicle the best protection possible.
1) Check the Lights
When the days are short and gloomy, your car's lights are more important than ever. Not only do they help you see the conditions ahead, but they also make sure other drivers can see you even when the snow is falling heavily. Regularly check that all your headlights, taillights, and signals are working correctly, and that they're not showing signs of age including cloudiness in the bulb or yellowing around the outsides.
2) Charge the Battery
Your car uses a lot more juice in the winter thanks to the increased use of lights and heating. Make sure the battery is fully charged now so that you'll have a few hours' leeway if you get stuck in snowbound traffic.
3) Switch to Winter Tires
Once the temperatures fall near to zero, winter tires provide better grip than regular ones, even if there's no snow on the ground. Make the switch in plenty of time to ensure you're safe if there's an unexpected early drop in temperature.
4) Monitor Tire Pressures
Once you've changed the tires, make a habit of checking their pressure every week or so. Air pressure drops surprisingly quickly the colder it gets, so tires that were correctly inflated in fall may become deflated and sluggish in the depths of winter.
5) Check the Coolants
Make sure that the coolant levels are always topped up with fresh antifreeze added, and keep a spare supply in the trunk in case of emergency.
6) Run with a Full Tank
Try to keep your gas tank as full as possible throughout the winter months. The extra weight means fuel economy will take a slight hit, but there are two main benefits to compensate. First, there's less chance of water vapour building up in a full tank, and so less risk of freezing damage to the fuel pump. Second, if you get stuck in a storm, a full tank of fuel will let you keep the heating on for longer.
Expert Used Car Service in Duncan
But even with the best preparation, the rigours of winter can be tough on your car. Book a service at Galaxy Motors in Duncan and receive the best quality maintenance and repairs that your car deserves, and ensure you see spring arrive with your vehicle in perfect working order.