Maintain Your Car with These 7 Winter Car Care Tips

It’s getting colder outside and with Reno’s unpredictable weather, you might want to start preparing yourself for winter with these Reno winter car care tips. It’s important that you maintain the upkeep of your vehicle year-round. You can never be too prepared, but there are some extra precautions you should take to prepare for the winter months ahead. The cold temperatures and wet climate during this time can be harsh and damaging on your vehicle. However, using these tips to help keep you and your vehicle safe this winter, and may save you from a sticky situation later on.

Snow Tires vs. All Weather Tires

Tires are a major part of vehicle maintenance and safety. Having the proper tires on your car can be the difference between you getting from point A to point B safely, and your car sliding around on the road. Snow tires, unlike All Weather tires, are designed to better handle cold temperatures and added wetness of the roads. Snow tires are made with a type of rubber that stays flexible even in cold temperatures, which gives them better traction when trying to stop and turn on cold pavement. This will give you better control of your vehicle, and a stronger grip on the road. Another benefit of snow tires is the thick tread they have which helps keep snow from building up. And the sipes (small slits in the rubber) help cut through water and slush which keeps the risk of hydroplaning low. 

Check Your Tire Pressure

Another important Reno winter car care tip is to regularly check your tire pressure. The air pressure in your vehicle’s tires needs to be checked more often in the winter because tire pressures drop by up to one pound per square inch with each 10-degree drop in air temperature. Having low tire pressure could cause premature wear to your tires and even potential tread separation. If this happens, your vehicle is likely to lose traction on slippery roads and your vehicle may handle unpredictably. 

Keep Your Fuel Tank at Least Half Full 

If you’re used to waiting until the gas light comes on to fill your vehicle’s gasoline tank, you may want to think about changing those habits. While waiting until the last minute to refuel may be okay to do during the summer, it’s much riskier in the winter. You never know when you’re going to get stuck in congested Reno traffic with no accessible gas station nearby, or even completely trapped in a heavy snowstorm. If this happens, you’ll need to have plenty of gas to keep your engine running and your vehicle warm until you can get to a safe place. Another reason to keep your gas tank at least half full during the winter is to help prevent any water that’s accumulated in your fuel pump from freezing.

Keep the Coolant and Washer Fluid Levels Full

Coolant, also called antifreeze, helps prevent freezing in your vehicle’s cooling system. Antifreeze is commonly mixed with water, and it actually works more efficiently this way. For the best results, you should maintain a 50/50 ratio of coolant and water in your vehicle’s radiator. This is because antifreeze alone has a freezing point of about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. But, when the coolant is mixed with water, you’ll get a freezing point of about -35 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Washer fluid may seem like a small thing to worry about compared to the other fluids necessary to keep your vehicle running. However, washer fluid is very important to keep on hand when it’s raining or snowing. When roads are wet it’s more common to get road debris splattered across your windshield which can be dangerous if you have no way of cleaning it. You should always check to make sure you have a sufficient amount of washer fluid in the reservoir at all times. 

Check Your Car’s Heating System

The heating system in your vehicle isn’t just for comfort. The defrosting system is used to prevent the windows from fogging up, which can make seeing out of them very difficult. It’s also used to melt ice that has formed on the windshield, which can also be dangerous if it blocks your visibility. You should check your car’s heating system when it starts to get cold out so that you can have it repaired if necessary by the time temperatures start to drop too much. 

Check Your Car’s Battery

Your car’s battery is necessary for starting your vehicle. Its main purpose is to send an electrical current through the vehicle and to feed the starter to turn the engine on. A car’s battery has a more difficult time operating in colder weather. This means that while a weak battery will still function in the summer, it could die in the winter and need to be replaced. In order to check the battery, take your vehicle to a licensed mechanic and ask that they do a voltage test on it. 

Check Your Car’s Lights

With winter fast approaching, it’s critical that you check to make sure your vehicle’s headlights, tail lights, brake lights, hazard lights, and signal lights are all in working condition and aren’t burnt out. It gets darker much sooner in the winter, meaning your daily commute home may likely be in the dark. Not having working lights could cause an accident, or could affect your visibility, so make sure they all light up when they’re supposed to, and replace them when necessary.

Add Exterior Protection

While the other Reno winter car care tips we’ve laid out so far have been about safety, this tip is all about protecting your vehicle. Winter can be very harsh on your vehicle’s exterior. There’s more road debris, such as rocks, salt, and sand, that could potentially scratch the paint on your car. Luckily, there are paint protection films that safeguard your car’s paint from scratching, prevent discoloration, and are cost-effective.  

Connect with A1 Body Shop

Following these winter car care tips can help you avoid a dangerous collision, and will make your winter drives safer. Winter does create more hazardous driving conditions and sometimes accidents do happen which can be scary and expensive. We are a Reno auto body shop that cares more about your safety than anything else, which is why we offer quality vehicle, trailer, and RV body repairs at reasonable rates. Our goal is to ensure your family’s safety on the road. Connect with us today to set up an appointment!

Get Your Car Prepared for Winter