During times of the season when the streets are slippery and the weather is cold, you need to find ways to prevent your vehicle from stalling. Keeping up with the maintenance on your vehicle is a guaranteed way to increase its performance no matter the weather conditions. These simple tweaks below are sure to solve the major concerns drivers face during winter seasons.
Check Car Tires
During cold seasons your tires will lose air pressure. For this reason, you should check the psi of your tires frequently. You should also purchase a cordless air compressor by Ryobi. Having this tool handy will allow you to refill your tires with air at your convenience.
The Ryobi tool also operates from a rechargeable one+ battery. If you want the level of your tires to stay consistent all year round, feel your tires with nitrogen. Nitrogen works better than air because the molecules are larger and they move slower.
Hence, nitrogen would be the reason it takes longer for air to escape your tires. The con of using nitrogen is it will cost you money and you have to call around to see which services offer it. Next, you should have winter tires. If you don’t have any winter tires try to catch some good tyre sales and make a purchase.
During winter seasons, winter tires give you the flexibility you need. This is primarily due to its compound structure. Summer tires, on the other hand, do not have the flexibility during lower temps.
Check All Headlights
Winter seasons have a tendency to welcome a gloomy atmosphere. While this season is respected by many it is definitely a season for you to be on the lookout. You need your car headlights to perform at its best. If your headlights have a yellowish haze use 600 to 3000 grit sandpaper to revive them.
After sanding your headlights using water in a spray bottle, wipe them down and use a liquid compound such as Meguiar’s compound. Use a foam pad and work the product into your headlights. This product will also remove the 3000 sandpaper scratches. Now that your headlights are shiny and new it’s time to check your brakes and rotors.
Brakes And Rotors
Normally it’s ok to wait for noise before taking your vehicle in for a brake and rotor inspection. However, you can’t afford to take any chances during winter seasons. Take your vehicle to a professional mechanic and have him check for the condition of your brake pads and rotors. If they are worn replace them.
Check For Working Defroster and Heater
Wouldn’t it suck to wake up in the morning to a frosted windshield and not be able to use your defroster? You can use a windshield scraper but having the option of using your defroster works to your benefit. Fixing a defroster can be tedious. Don’t attempt fixing this issue yourself if you don’t have experience. Take your car to the nearest mechanic.
Car Wiper Blade Inspection
Maintaining your wiper blades is essential for safety purposes. Winter seasons produce rain. Therefore, go with your gut and perform an inspection. What to check for? When inspecting your blades your checking for tears, looseness, and smoothness. You should change your windshield wiper blades every six months.
At the start of winter, you should pull your wiper blades away from your windshield. Performing this task when your vehicle is in the park position prevents your blades from sticking to the windshield. What causes wear and tear? Typically weather changes cause windshield blades to wear. The UV rays from the sun causes the blades to dry out over time and require attention.
Checking Car Battery
Cold weather can drain your car battery fast. You have a couple of options if your vehicle will sit for a few months in cold temperatures. You can disconnect the car battery and store it in your garage. The second option is to park your entire vehicle with the battery left inside the car into your garage. Both options shield the battery from low temperatures. If your battery is good but drained you can take it to AutoZone and in most cases, they can recharge your car battery for free.
Use Correct Oil
To improve your vehicle’s performance know when to use the correct engine oil for the temperature changes. As a rule of thumb, you want to use thicker oils during warmer temperatures and thinner oils for colder temperatures. To give you a good example, 0W-30 is thinner than 5W-30 and will run smoothly through the engine when the weather is extremely cold. Thicker oils in cold weather put a lot of strain on your car engine which could lead to knocking sounds coming from the engine. Check your manual for the correct oil usage.
Storing Your Vehicle
Before storing your car give it a good detailing. After washing and drying the exterior with a microfiber towel, cover your vehicle. You can use a blue car cover and tighten down the edges to prevent the wind from blowing it away.
You Can Do It!
This year you should rely on your abilities alone to get the job done right. For starters making it a habit to perform this checklist at least once every 60 days could get you ready for more serious conditions. I think your all set!
