Winterizing Your Vehicle: A Step-by-Step Guide

The season is coming for pulling out the winter coats, snow shovels and getting your vehicle ready for the great weather change about to come. Winter can take a toll on your vehicle, so you will want to start with this step-by-step guide to ensure that you have hit everything that needs to be done to get you through without any major problems.

Step one is to have your car put through a 30,000 check up if you haven't had that done. It is a great starting point that will alert you to any foreseen problems and you can have them taken care of before the snow flies.

Step two is to flush out your cooling system and replace the coolant, buy the appropriate antifreeze. With so many on the market you should consult your owner's manual or dealership to find out which one is best for use in your vehicle.

Step three is to replace those old windshield wiper blades, a good set of winter blades can be purchased at your local auto supply, while your on the subject of windshield, make sure your windshield wiper reservoir has the proper amount of fluid, keep some spare fluid in your trunk for some other tips that will be discussed later in this article.

Step four is to make sure that your battery is tested and working properly, if it is over 4 years old, replace it. Clean your terminals and make sure that the appropriate amount of water is in each cell.

Step five, get out the tire gauge and make sure that your tires are properly inflated, the cold weather causes them to contract, this is a task that you will want to monitor through out the winter months. While you are it, check your spare and make sure you have a jack that is in working order. This is a good time to check the tread wear on your tires also, you can find an easy guide online or have your local mechanic check them.

Step six is to make sure the heater and defrosters are in good working order, check out all your lights to make sure they are working also.

Step seven, have your braking system checked, if need be, replace parts and lines.

Emergency Kit
Put together a winter emergency kit for your trunk, some items that you will want to put in this kit are, blanket, extra boots and gloves, ice scraper, small snow shove, flashlight, extra coat. Through in an extra coat, if you travel with small children you will want to double this amount to fit the situation.

Tips on thawing ice on your vehicles doors and windshieldKeep extra windshield wiper fluid in a spray bottle some where you can access it, if the trunk or doors are frozen, it will not do you any good inside there. So, in the house or garage maybe a better idea. For locks and doors spray the fluid into holes and around the seals.

Preventing door freeze is as simple as putting a light coat of oil on the gasket around the door itself.
Cold starts are hard on a vehicle, turn on your headlights for thirty seconds before starting your vehicle, this will give the electrical system a head start and warms the battery up for an easier start.

Getting vehicle ready now will save you the headaches of working on an emergency situation when it is cold outside. Getting prepared and preventing problems may also save you a few bucks in the long run.