Winter Car Care Essentials: Top Tips and Hacks for Keeping Your Vehicle Safe and Reliable

A cold winter morning but you are in a hurry to get to work. With chattering teeth, you get inside your car, but the engine refuses to start. You try again and again. Do not worry at all because with a few simple winter car care tips you will make your way through the coldest of mornings.

winter car care tipswinter car care tips
winter car care tips

It is essential to be prepared for the winter with winter car care tips. The cold weather makes the car behave unpredictably. Some drivers dread winter, but there is entirely no reason to if one is well prepared. If you take care of your vehicle, you should be able to avoid running into unexpected trouble. Just a little bit of attention towards those parts that get affected by extreme winter cold can make your car perform effortlessly.

winter car care tips
winter car care tips
  1. Spend some time and make sure your car battery is in good shape. Check the amperage (current) which the battery is able to supply. If required fill the battery with distilled water. If you think it is time to change, your battery goes ahead and do it before winter sets in. Usually, due to the heater and defogger, a battery is under a lot of strain in winter and required to supply more current. Also, keep jumper cables handy in case your battery fails is essential among winter car care tips.
  2. Make sure the windshield wiper fluid is fully topped up. The wiper is essential on foggy winter mornings. Check the wiper blades for cracks and if needed change them. It is essential to add some antifreeze to your window washer fluid if you live somewhere really cold.
  3. Check engine oil and coolant levels regularly. Keep an eye on the engine oil. If you feel it has to be changed switch it out before winter. Keep the radiator coolant fluid at its required level. The coolant not only cools the engine but also keeps the radiator water from turning to ice. In most cars coolant also works as a source of warming for the cabin.
  4. Are the tires are in good condition. The tires are responsible for grip and traction. Synthetic rubber hardens in winter and causes tires to crack. If the tire tread is worn out replace it immediately. Keep a close watch on tire pressure since it changes with the ambient temperature.
  5. In hilly areas such as Himachal due to snowfall, car doors are going to get jammed since ice forms between the door and the rubber liners. Make sure the rubber liners are well lubricated to prevent ice buildup is a useful winter car care tips.
  6. Check the condition of the brakes. Wet and slippery roads are treacherous during winter. Make safety your first priority and keep your brakes in good shape.
  7. To avoid fogged up windows and windshield in early morning turn on car heater and dry out the air. Foggy windows are caused by moisture inside the car being cooled by cold air outside through the window glass. It is a part of good winter car care tips that heating the car removes the fog from inside surfaces.