As much as you take care of your car in the summer, you need to take care of it in the winter as well. With the coldest part of the year upon us, it can be important to winterize your car to ensure your safety and protection of your automobile. One of the most important parts of winterizing your car has to do with tires. Ensuring that your tires are working properly and appropriate for the conditions is a specific need when preparing for the winter.
Salt Preparation
When the roads are expected to get icy, one way to help with traction is adding salt to the roads. Unfortunately, this is not great for the exterior of cars and can cause unwanted damage to your automobile paint. However, by taking some precautions, you can help prevent that damage from occurring to your car. One great way to prevent this from happening is by waxing the exterior of your car. By doing this, you are able to create a barrier between the paint and the salt. This prevents the car’s paint from becoming eroded.
Another great tip to keep in mind this winter is to get regular car washes. By doing this, you are rinsing that layer of salt off your car rather than letting it sit on there for too long causing corrosion.
Snow Tires vs All Season Tires
A common question that people will ask is whether or not to replace their tires with specific snow tires or all season tires. When preparing your automobile for the winter season, you should evaluate the pros and cons of each tire. However, if you live in an area that gets minimal snow, it may be more practical to invest in all season tires rather than snow tires. If you do live in an area where large amounts of snow are common during winter, snow tires may be something you would want to invest in for this season.
Tires will make a difference in your automobile’s ability to navigate the road conditions. If your tires are in rough shape, navigating roads this winter will be a no go. Regardless of the tire, it is important to keep your tires clean as winter progresses. Before the start of winter, give your tires a nice clean. Continue to clean them to ensure that the salt from the road is rinsed off of them. As winter continues, be sure to check the status of your tires to ensure that your automobile can perform to the best of its ability.
Tire Pressure
Another task to do while preparing your car for winter is to check the tire pressure. To ensure that your tires are inflated properly, check the owner’s manual to know what PSI your tires should be filled too. As the temperature drops, your tire pressure will as well. Be sure to check your tire pressure regularly. This also ensures that your automobile will help to maintain durability and traction despite the unfavorable weather conditions. Be sure to check your tire pressure as you prepare your automobile for the winter months.
Windshield Protection
Protecting your windshield from the winter elements is another important task to keep in mind this winter. Your windshield protects you and should be kept as a top priority this winter.
If you know that winter weather is coming your way, move your vehicle to a location that provides the best coverage from those elements. For many, it would be ideal to put your automobile in the garage. However, if that is not feasible, consider putting a tarp over your windshield for protection.
Investing in winter windshield wipers is another great way to add a layer of protection to your windshield and yourself. These blades tend to be stronger and more durable than the standard windshield wipers.
Finally, to be prepared for winter and the weather it brings, be sure only to use the proper snow and ice removal tools on your windshield. If you do not use the proper tools to remove snow and ice, you are at risk for windshield damage. Use only an ice scraper tool to remove snow and ice from your windshield.
Now that you are aware of a small portion of automobile winter prep, get out there and winterize your automobile!
First Auto Color has been family owned and operated for 15 years. We have served the Kankakee area for their automotive paint and body shop needs. We provide high quality products to all our customers. Stop in today to see how we can help you with all your automotive winterizing needs or give us a call at 815-928-8250.