Winter is around the corner, and so is the first frost . As the mercury falls and families make sure they are well-prepared for the winters, their ride must feel prepared too. No one wants their car to be stranded in the middle of nowhere because of a dead battery or any unforeseen situation like this. So, before you hit the road, make sure you get your car winter-ready with some of the simple car care tips!
1. Look out for the car’s battery
As the temperature starts to chill, a car’s battery is the one that take the hit. The battery might be just discharged, or completely warn out. To check if the battery is discharged, you can check the window at the top of the battery and see if it shows any sign of discharge . If the battery is more than 5 years old, you might want to consider replacing. You can even get it professionally tested at any service station or a repair shop.
2. Don’t forget to check the car’s lighting
Winter means shorter days and pitch darkness when you get back home from work. As a result, you would want your car light’s visibility to be in an excellent shape. So, before winters start, just get the lightning fixed. Check whether the bulb’s out, or there’s water covering any exterior light. You might also want to get an extra pair of emergency car light, just in case.
3. Consider getting tires checked
If you live in a city that experiences occasional snow, its better you look for a new set of all-season tires. And it is safe to replace all four tires at one time rather than being sorry later. Even if the tires are in good shape, make sure they are properly inflated. You can keep tire pressure monitoring system handy to check whenever and wherever, if the tires are misbehaving.
4. Check the oil
It is a fact that Motor oil tends to thicken as the temperature drops, making it difficult for the engine to run smoothly. Some of the formulas that seem to work well in winters are 5W-20, 5W-30, and 10W-30. In fact, these can be used year-round. Since you are getting the oil changed, you can also get the radiator and heater hoses checked for leaks or cracks.
5. Get the coolant flushed and filled
During the winters, you would want to keep your engine warm so that it does not freeze. So, make sure your car isn’t low on coolant and your engine doesn’t have any leaks that could make the coolant drain off. It is recommended to keep the coolant mixture in a ratio of 50 (antifreeze)/50 (water).
