How to prepare a car for the winter?

By Elizabeth Summers / February 21, 2018 / No comments
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The car has long ceased to be a luxury, becoming not just a means of transportation, but a friend, assistant, and sometimes an ally of a modern man. For many car owners the question of preparing a car for the winter season is acute. The main thing in this matter is timeliness.

More often than not, the car owner postpones preparations for the winter. But the key word here is not even “winter” – already late autumn can present surprises in the form of heavy snow and slippery roads. So if you do not want to start preparing for the winter, shoveling snow, it’s better to start taking care of your hyundai santafe or Toyota corolla in advance.

What threats can winter cause?

Only starting the engine of your car at low temperatures can easily be compared with a couple of kilometers of mileage. Many experts believe that the average trip in frosty weather to work and home means that your car has lost about 500 km of mileage. If you decided to joke with such things, it means that you are either a very rich or careless person and you might be punished for such negligence.

So, always remember that all the moving parts of your “steel horse” in winter wear out much faster than in the warm season. Other than the moving parts, there are also other important parts like the glass windshield, which can get cracked or chipped because of sudden temperature changes between the inside and the outside of the car. Additionally, snow and ice buildup or debris from road treatments can also contribute to windshield damage during winter, during which a glass repair from skilled auto body services becomes very important to prevent further damages. Alternatively, the first recommendation to caring motorists is that in the worst frost, it is better to use public transport and give your car a chance to survive.

Storing your car for the winter

Storing your car in the right place during winter is crucial to protect it from the harsh weather conditions. If you have a garage, that’s the best place to store your car, as it provides complete protection from snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Nevertheless, before winter knocks on your door, check on the necessary repairs and restoration works required for the garage. If the floors appear worn out, get them fixed; if the ceiling shows visible signs of cracks, address them as soon as possible. It would also be recommended that you get a few overhead storage shelving units installed during this time. Stuff, like automotive fluids, cleaning products, paints, and fertilizers, often find a permanent place on the garage floor and make the space look cluttered. Not only this, but they can also become tripping and leaking hazards. Therefore, overhead shelves (think The Smarter Garage) can come in handy in storing them and making the area safer and look organized.

Not everyone, however, has a garage, so you might need to consider other options, such as a carport or a storage unit. If you’re parking your car outside, consider investing in Car Shades to protect it from the sun’s UV rays, which can damage the paint and interiors over time. No matter where you store your car, make sure it’s in a dry, sheltered area that is free from exposure to the elements, and that it’s secure to prevent theft or vandalism.

Winter tires for your car

According to the traffic police, when the cold comes, accidents on the roads increase, dramatically. And the main reason for this lies in the fact that vehicles are not adapted to the conditions of winter.

You can decide to drive in winter on summer tires. But your chances of survival, in this case, will be lower than if you gulp a cup of cyanide. Tires should be changed already when the thermometer shows + 7 C outside.

The rubber compound from which summer tires are produced becomes hard at low temperatures, loses its properties, and ceases to cling to the asphalt. As a result, controllability suffers and the braking distance considerably increases.

In the cold season, the tires will have to be slightly pumped up and it’s necessary to check the balancing. In addition, if you have a front-wheel drive, and since last year left a set of winter tires, the front pair is better to put on the rear axle.

Keep your tank full

Does your car have an injector motor? It is very important that the tank is filled to the maximum when leaving for frost. The thing is that the air in the fuel tank contains water vapor, which crystallizes when the temperature drops. Microcrystals fall into the fuel, reducing its quality, and settle on the bottom of the tank. This can lead to the premature death of the gasoline pump and fuel system.

Take care of the car body

The body is not only the biggest detail of the car but also the most vulnerable. And if we are talking about winter, then you should not forget about the main enemy of the body of your car – anti-ice reagents. And do not think that if you have a new car, then it does not need anti-corrosion treatment.

If you do not plan to spend a lot of money, then treat the body with mastic, polish, or wax, check the reliability of the fenders, and install mudguards. Also, in winter we tend to get a lot of snow and hail storms so making sure you know of any hail dent removal companies like Hail Specialists as this will mean that you can get the body of your car fixed quickly and efficiently during winter.

The next step is to take care of the bottom of your car, which can be protected with high-quality polyvinyl chloride plastisol. After that, your car will be reliably protected “below the belt”, and it will not be afraid of snow, sand, gravel, and even great and terrible reagents.

It doesn’t matter what car you have – either honda accord or BMW, your car should be properly prepared for the winter.