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If your
car needs regular service, get it done now
Check for cracked hoses, worn
belts, leaking water pumps, cracked spark plug wires, and
distributor caps. These items might not seem like a big deal in
the summer time when it is nice outside for a walk when your car
strands you on the side of the road, but in the winter time, you
may feel differently about it.
Make
sure your battery and charging system are ready for winter
You or your mechanic should check the battery, charging system,
and belts. Your battery can leave you stranded simply because
it's old and worn out. Or it could leave you stranded because
your charging system isn't working well, and the battery isn't
getting charged properly. So have your mechanic check the
battery and charging system.
If you find that you need a new
battery, get one that has more than enough cranking amps (more
is always better!) that will fit in your car. Two things to
remember about batteries: First, the battery that started your
car easily in the summer may not have enough oomph to do it in
winter. In winter, the engine is harder to start, because the
oil isn't as "fluid" as it was last July. And secondly,
batteries lose power as the temperature drops. So not only do
you need MORE power to start the engine in winter, you also get
LESS power from the same battery.
Batteries are rated by a measure
called "cold cranking amps" (CCA), the maximum number of amps
that the battery can deliver at zero degrees (F) for 30 seconds.
Good, powerful batteries are rated at or above 600 CCA.
Check
the cooling system
Make certain the antifreeze will protect your car at the winter
temperatures you'll experience in your area.
For most areas, you'll need a 50-50
mix of coolant to water. The 50-50 mix has a lower freezing
point and a higher boiling point than 100 percent solution of
antifreeze.
|
Protection |
Freeze-up Protection |
Boilover Protection |
Corrosion Protection |
|
Minimum 50% anti-freeze
50% Water |
-34ºF |
+265ºF |
Exceeds all ASTM and SAE standards for corrosion
protection |
|
Maximum 70% anti-freeze
30% Water |
-84ºF |
+276ºF |
You can check the freeze rating of
your car's coolant yourself with a little device that you can
buy in an auto part store for a couple of bucks. With it you
suck up a little of the anti-freeze from the radiator - or the
overflow container - and see how many of the little balls float.
By the way, having good coolant in your engine is very important
because if the coolant freezes, it expands, and it will destroy
the engine block which can very costly to replace.
But that's still only half the
story. The other primary function of antifreeze is to keep your
cooling system from rusting. The rust inhibitors in antifreeze
break down over time and need to be renewed. So, at a minimum,
change your engine's coolant at the interval recommended by your
manufacturer. Besides, draining out the coolant and refilling
the system also removes dirt and rust particles that can clog up
the cooling system and cause problems, regardless of the season.
There are two primary types of
coolants available on the market today. The first is
traditional, green-colored antifreeze, which can be used in any
car. The second is a newer, long-life coolant, which comes in a
variety of colors. It should only be used in recent-model cars
because it may damage some of the engine gaskets in older cars.
If you're not sure whether your car uses the new or old-style
antifreeze, check with your manufacturer.
If you
have leaks in the cooling system, take care of them now
While many people think of overheating as a summer problem, cars
can overheat in winter, too, if they run low on or out of
coolant. And overheating can cause expensive engine damage
whenever it happens.
Make
sure your windshield wipers are in good shape
Be sure your current wiper blades clean the windshield well, and
allow you to see clearly in wet weather. Even when there's no
active precipitation, water from melting snow and slush or truck
tires is often thrown up onto your windshield.
Winter wipers — with the rubber
coverings that keep ice from collecting on the blade — have
become very popular. They're great in the winter, but make sure
you take them off in the spring. Winter wipers are heavy, and if
you use them all summer, you'll wear out the wiper motor
prematurely.
And when using your wipers in the
winter, remember to turn them off BEFORE shutting off the
engine. Why? Water frequently freezes overnight during the
winter. And if your blades freeze to the windshield, when you go
to start your car, the wiper motor may burn out trying to get
them back to the "rest position,"
Keep
your gas tank close to full, for a couple of reasons
In the summer, you can take a chance and run down to fumes. But
in the winter, if you do get stuck or stranded, the engine will
be your only source of heat. And you don't
 want to have to worry
about conserving fuel and saving the planet right at that
moment...you want to stay warm. You can run the engine
indefinitely at idle to stay warm-or as long as you have gas. No
harm will be done to the engine. However we suggest you crack
open the window a bit so as to not suffocate from any exhaust
leaks that your car may have.
Make
sure your windshield washer reservoir is full
On a snowy or messy day, you can easily go through half a gallon
or more of windshield washer fluid trying to keep your
windshield clear. For that reason, it's also a good idea to keep
some extra fluid in the trunk in case you run out.
About
carrying sand in the back of the car
If you have a rear-wheel-drive vehicle that needs help in the
snow or ice, you can put a few bags of sand over the rear axle.
Draw an imaginary line between the two rear wheels. That's the
location of the rear axle, which is usually towards the front of
the trunk.
The sand won't do as much good at
the very back of the trunk as it will right over the axle. In
fact, you can make things worse by putting too much weight too
far back. In essence, by weighing down the rear end too much,
you "lift up" the front end and lose some steering and braking
abilities. So be sure to locate the right spot to place the
extra weight.
On a front-wheel-drive car, don't
bother with sandbags. The weight of the engine is already over
the wheels that are powered.
Make
sure your rear-window defroster works if you have one
In many states, the law requires that ALL of your windows be
clear before you hit the road.
Know
how your car handles
Every car has different handling
characteristics. You should know what your car can and cannot do
in the snow. You should know if you have front, rear, part-time
or full-time four-wheel drive; antilock brakes; traction
control; and stability control. You should know what kind of
tires are on the car, and how all those things work and how they
help you or don't help you.
Make
sure you have some basic supplies in your car in case you do get
stuck
Invest in a substantial snowbrush and an ice scraper. It's good
to have a shovel and a bag of sand to help with traction, and
the aforementioned extra windshield washer fluid. A blanket is a
good idea — just in case. If you have any winter clothes you
don't wear anymore, especially an old pair of boots, throw them
in the trunk, too.
Winter
driving emergencies are among the few legitimate uses for a
cellular phone
If you're cellularly inclined, and you promise not to use it to
chat while driving, a cell phone is certainly a plus if you get
stuck.
You
can't see through snow, so make this "preflight check" before
every winter car trip
Once snow or ice does arrive, take
some extra time to make sure your car is clean and your
visibility is good.
Clear off the entire car, not just
a little peephole in the windshield. You need just as much, if
not more, visibility in poor conditions because you have to keep
your eyes peeled for pedestrians, and other drivers.
Make sure every glass surface is
clear and transparent by using a snowbrush and/or ice scraper.
Your side-view mirrors and all lights should be brushed and
cleared as well.
Now clean the snow off the rest of
the car. Why? Because the rest of the snow will either (A) slide
off the roof and cover your windshield as you're slowing down;
or (B) fly off onto someone else's windshield and causing him or
her to smash into you. Here's another: (C) it's the law in many
states that your vehicle must be clear of snow and ice.
When
driving in the snow, do everything slowly
Even with good coolant, snow tires, stability control, all-wheel
drive, and the bag of Doritos in the trunk, keep in mind that
driving in snow, sleet, and ice is very treacherous. And even if
you maintain control of your car, not everyone else will. So
don't ever get lulled into a false sense of security. Do
everything slowly and gently. Remember, in the snow, the tires
are always just barely grabbing the road. Accelerate slowly and
gently, turn slowly and gently, and brake slowly and gently. To
do this, you have to anticipate turns and stops. That means
what? Going slowly and leaving and leaving plenty of distance
between you and other cars. Rapid movements lead to skids and
loss of control. Drive as if there were eggs on the bottoms of
your feet — step on the gas and the brake pedals so gently that
you don't break the eggshell.
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