How to Make Your Car Winter Ready: 4 Winterizing Tips
#1 Make Sure Your 4-Wheel Drive Works
It’s important to make sure everything is fine before the winter starts, even if 4WD doesn’t need too much maintenance. A functioning system can improve tire traction on snow and ice, reducing the possibility of getting stuck.
Make a note, that having a 4WD system doesn’t mean you can drive around icy parking lots or drive faster than you normally would in a regular car. 4WD can improve your SUV’s traction on snow and ice from a stationary position.
#2 Check Your Car’s Belts and Hoses
The belts and hoses under your vehicle’s hood are typically checked when the car is due for a tune-up. Even if you’re not getting a tune-up this winter, it’s not a big deal to have an expert take a look at how everything is holding up around your engine.
Cold temperatures can weaken belts and hoses, and if something snaps or breaks while you’re out on the road, a tow truck will be the only way to get moving again.
Also, learn when it’s the best time to replace car’s belt.
#3 Replace Windshield Wipers and Wiper Fluid
Imagine driving down the road at night, and all of a sudden a storm of freezing rain passes over, beating your windshield with sheets of water. You click your wipers on so you can see better, but nothing works: pieces of rubber flap uselessly against the glass, and the blades’ scraping doesn’t make the view outside any clearer.
#4 Keep Your Fuel Tank Full
It’s never a good idea to let your gas tank on fumes until the very last moment. The damage you might inflict on your car with a near-empty tank during winter is much worse. If the fuel filter doesn’t catch the sediment, you run the risk of clogging a fuel injector.
Gasoline not only fuels the car, but it also functions as a coolant for the electric fuel pump motor.
In modern cars, this pump sits in the middle of the gas tank filled with cool gasoline. A near-empty tank can cause the fuel pump to suck in air and overheat, causing significant damage to the pump.
Each time you neglect pumping gas, gunk from the bottom of the gas tank could get caught in various components of the vehicle. When a diesel runs dry, the injector pump fills with air and the vehicle won’t start by simply adding more diesel fuel.
Also, learn:
Winter Tires: The Importance, Their Benefits and Things to Remember
4 things you need to know about winter tires
Ways to Prepare Your Car for Winter Weather
Are Winter Tires Necessarily
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