Check Tire Tread - Worn tires and winter driving create a particularly dangerous combination. They increase your stopping distance and decrease stability on wet roads. Even though most states have a 2/32-inch minimum tread depth standard, independent tests have shown that tire traction decreases dramatically once your tires wear beyond 4/32-inch. You can try to slide by through winter on low tread, but that’s exactly what you’ll be doing — sliding. A single skid into the curb at five MPH can easily cause $1,500 worth of damage to suspension and steering components.
Test Your Car Battery- Car batteries have a limited life. Don’t wait for yours to fail and leave you stranded. You can check the condition of the car battery starter and entire charging system with a computerized battery tester. Besides testing voltage, a computerized battery tester checks for internal resistance and conductance, giving you a good idea of the battery’s overall condition. Plus, the tester also checks the condition of your starter and alternator.
Clean Battery Terminals- Corrosion buildup on battery posts and terminals can cause hard starting problems in cold weather and prevent your charging system from recharging your battery.
Protect Your Battery Terminals- Reduce future battery terminal corrosion with a battery terminal protectant spray. Once the battery terminals are cleaned and re-installed, spray each terminal with a liberal coating of battery terminal protectant spray.
Lubricate Window Tracks- Freezing water can seep into the window tracks and create drag when you try to open the window. That drag can damage the window regulator cables, costing you hundreds of dollars. You can avoid the problem entirely by lubricating the window tracks with spray silicone or dry teflon spray lubricant.
Lube Weather Stripping- If water seeps between your door and weather stripping and freezes, you could be frozen out of your car or truck. To prevent the water from freezing you out, coat the weather stripping and the mating door surfaces with spray silicone. To avoid spraying silicone into your car’s interior, spray it directly onto a clean rag. Then wipe the silicone lube onto your door and trunk weatherstripping.
Lube Your Door Locks- You probably don’t use your door and trunk locks much if you have remote keyless entry, but that’s no reason to ignore them. If you don’t keep the lock cylinders lubricated, they’ll corrode, making it impossible for you to use your key. If your key fob battery ever dies, you’ll be locked out and have to call a locksmith.
Lube Latches and Hinges- When your car won’t start, a sticking hood latch compounds your misery. Since the latch mechanism sits right behind the grille, it tends to corrode and seize from all the salt spray kicked up by the cars driving in front of you. You can prevent that corrosion by lubricating the latch mechanism before the snow flies.
Consider Winter Tires- Winter tires could save your life. Winter tires, also known as snow tires because of the snowflake on their sidewall, provide much more traction on snow, getting you started 33 percent faster from a stop sign and reducing your stopping distance by almost 30-feet compared to all-season tires. Winter tires even perform better on ice, stopping you 48 percent faster and reducing side skid in turns.
Check Your Coolant- Engine coolant does more than protect your engine from freezing and cracking. Coolant also contains anti-corrosive additives and water-pump lubricants to keep your entire cooling system in tip-top shape.
Switch to Winter Wiper Blades- Ordinary wiper blades get packed with snow, causing the blade to streak or miss large swaths of your windshield. Winter wiper blades eliminate that problem. A rubber boot encloses the entire blade, preventing ice and snow from sticking or packing. They make for much better visibility and safer winter driving. Remove your old wiper blades and store for use again next spring.
Check & Replace Your Hood Lifts- If the gas lift cylinders that keep your hood open struggle when it’s warm outside, they’ll quit working completely when temperatures dip below freezing. Because the left and the right lifts receive the same amount of wear, you should always replace them in pairs. Right- and left-side lifts often differ in subtle ways, so ask the store clerk to label them for you.
Replace the Cabin Air Filter- Cabin air filters often get neglected on late model cars and trucks. You may not consider this important maintenance, but a clogged cabin air filter can dramatically reduce airflow through your car’s heater, stressing the blower motor and overheating the blower motor resistor.
Assemble A Winter Survival Kit- You probably already have a few of the items in this winter car survival kit in your garage. However, they and a few other things belong in the car! Just put them together in a box and place it in your car during the winter months for roadside emergencies. If you are properly equipped, you will be able to cope with most winter roadside breakdowns and avoid getting frostbite. For those of you that live or drive through rural, sparsely populated areas, being stuck in a blizzard can cost you your life. Here are the essential items your winter car survival kit should include:
A candle powered heater;
A flashlight;
A cellphone charger;
A notepad and pen/pencil;
A compact tire inflator;
A small tool kit (screwdrivers, pliers, an adjustable wrench, duct tape, zip ties);
A bag of cat litter or floor sweep absorbent to help regain traction on ice;
Jumper cables;
A small shovel;
A can of Fix-A-Flat;
A basic first aid kit;
Warm gloves, hat, and blanket.
