Winter can be a challenging time for car owners. Cold weather and heavy rain can cause problems with tyres, engines, and other functionalities. To ensure that your car runs smoothly and safely during winter, here are a few tips:
Is your battery giving up?
Winter can seriously damage your car battery, especially if you park it outside. Avoid the sinking feeling of hearing nothing when you hit the ignition with a proactive check of your battery and charging system. Repair shops usually do not charge much to test your battery, many car parts stores will not even charge you a fee. If you find out your battery’s going out, you can replace it at a suitable time, instead of being at the point of whatever shop your deceased car is being towed to.
Check your parts
To improve aerodynamics and save petrol/diesel, today’s cars are equipped with higher detailed underbody panels and low-hanging front spoilers. When driving through heavy rain in the winter, you could end up ripping off the entire panel and possibly its mounting hardware. Check underneath the car, starting from the front, to see if any loose parts are hanging or flapping around before the ground gets too cold. You might be able to replace it or put it back in place. Cable ties or duct tape will do the trick.
Stop or at least slow corrosion
Vehicles resistance to corrosion has come a long way in the last couple of years. Take a good look at the car (ideally after a good wash) for any scratches or dings where you can see the bare metal under the paint. Paint should be applied to these. A professional repair is better, but if it’s out of your budget, you can do a quick fix yourself. Clean the area with some solvent (acetone or rubbing alcohol) and apply a clear coat of nail polish. You can even buy touch up paint in your car’s colour and it will work. When it comes to the prevention of rust on the underbody, keeping it clean is the best thing you can do. In addition, spray a few cans of Fluid Film on the metal parts of your underbody.
Wax the lights
Keeping your headlights clean will make a difference in the darkness of winter. Here is an easy two-minute recommendation: Make sure the headlights are clean of dirt, rub car wax (any brand will do) on the lens, let it dry and buff it off, repeat. Also, do the taillights. The slippery surface you leave behind will be less likely to build up an ice coat when you are driving, it will make it easier to remove it if it does.
Don’t forget to check the pressure in your tyres weekly, to keep your fuel tank half full, and to protect your windshield wipers.
Maintaining a vehicle is very important. I hope these tips helped make your driving safe and maintain the condition of your vehicle. The winter is perhaps the most critical time for proper vehicle maintenance.
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