Winter Car Care
- Check your battery.
Cold weather reduces your battery's ability to produce power, so make sure that it can maintain a full charge.
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Check your windshield wipers and refill your windshield washer fluid.
Visibility is important, so replace your wipers if they are worn, or leaving streaks on your windshield, and use a windshield washer fluid that has a lower freezing temperature.
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Check your tire treads depths and consider snow tires.
Consider replacing your all-season tires with snow tires, or at a minimum, ensure that the treads on your tires have sufficient depth to provide your car with traction in snowy conditions.
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Check your tire pressure.
Cold weather causes the air pressure in your tires to drop, which could affect your road traction, so keep your tires inflated during the winter.
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Check your antifreeze.
The anti-freeze to water mixture should be about fifty/fifty, to prevent the coolant from freezing.
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Check your engine oil.
Check your engine oil level and have the oil changed if you have reached the recommended oil change interval.
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Check your belts and hoses.
Cold weather causes additional stresses on the belts and hoses, so check these for signs of wear and tear and replace them if needed.
- Remember to keep your fuel tank at least half full and pack an emergency winter kit in your car.