Cold Weather Car Preparation

With winter weather fast approaching, many car owners are starting to think about preparing their cars for driving in cold temperatures, rain, snow and other adverse conditions. Drivers in the Midwest and East Coast should absolutely be ready for winter driving, but even drivers in places like California and Florida need to have their car ready for colder weather and heavy rain storms. Here are a few things to do to prepare your car for the winter months:

Replace your wiper blades: Having worn-out windshield wipers can make driving in rain, snow or sleet almost impossible and very dangerous. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that their wipers need to be replaced until the first storm hits. Check your wipers to see if they are cracked or worn before bad weather conditions start.

Check your antifreeze levels: Many people only fill their coolant systems with water during the summer months when they “top off” their cars. However, this can leave you low on antifreeze, which is very important when cold weather hits. Make sure to flush your system and fill it with the proper amount of antifreeze before the cold weather strikes.

Switch to synthetic oil:
Modern blends of synthetic oils help you to avoid “rough starts” in the winter and make it easier to get your car going first thing in the morning. Replace your regular oil with a synthetic before the winter, especially if you have an older car.