5 Tips For Winterizing Your Car

 

5. Consider Winter Tires

For the daily drive on well-traveled roads in Salem, even when occasional snows hit, you might find that all-season tires will do the job for you. However, if you find yourself on rural roads more prone to freezing over or mountain passes where conditions can deteriorate rapidly, snow tires can be a smart investment. If you do have all-season tires on your vehicle, but you plan on tackling some wintery weather, you may want to consider packing snow chains. Snow tires provide better grip on snow and ice without chains -- with the drawback that their unique rubber compound tends to wear out more rapidly on dry pavement.

 

4. Check Coolant Level

Why would it be especially important to check your engine's cooling system when the ambient air is getting colder, not warmer? It's because the engine's cooling system also warms the vehicle's heater. As your engine runs, the cooling system pumps coolant through the engine to absorb excess heat and divert it away from the engine itself. When you turn the heater on, some of this heat is used to warm the air that gets pumped through the vents. So, pop the hood and locate your vehicle's coolant reservoir. You may be able to check the level against a fill line or gauge printed on the side of the reservoir. Or, you can safely remove the radiator cap from the vehicle by first waiting until the engine has cooled down to room temp. Then, remove the radiator cap and look inside. The radiator should be filled almost to the top with coolant. If the levels are low, the cabin heater might not perform at its best.

 

3. Test Battery

Over time, the battery in your car will deteriorate. What's more, ambient temperatures can have a serious impact on how much charge your battery can hold. The colder it is, the less power your battery can provide to the starter! It's not uncommon for the first cold snap of the season to cause a car battery to show its age. You can get ahead of this by having a technician at Capitol perform a battery health test. We can load-test the battery to determine if it needs to be recharged, or if it is simply too old to hold sufficient charge. A new battery will help your car start up reliably, even in the coldest Oregon conditions.

2. Replace Wiper Blades & Fluid

The right tires are critical to keeping you in control in snowy and icy conditions, but the wiper blades are critical to helping you see in low-visibility conditions. With the right wiper blades, a damage-free windshield and inexpensive chemical coatings that can help water run off your windshield, you should be able to see ahead of you even in blizzard conditions. But old, cracked and brittle wiper blades may leave smears and streaks that only make it harder to see! Quality washer fluids are designed to prevent freezing, and help you keep the windshield free of dirt, mud, bugs, pollen and other grime. You can even select a washer fluid blend made especially for the winter with more antifreeze additives, but it's probably not all that necessary here in Salem.