Your Guide To Basic Cold Weather Car Maintenance
12th January 2009
Your Guide To Basic Cold Weather Car Maintenance
When the weather gets colder, it becomes more important than ever to keep your car properly maintained. Otherwise, your vehicle can experience cold starts, sluggish response, and even damage associated with excess condensation. If neglected, you may begin to notice that your charging system isn’t working properly, your battery is unable to hold a charge, and the hoses start developing leaks.
Today, I’m going to explain how you should prepare your car for the winter. For those of you who have been following my regular series of articles, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that nearly every maintenance task I’m about to describe is simple. It’s just a matter of getting them done.
Clean Your Battery’s Connections
Remove the cables from the battery terminals and clean them. You can buy a special wire brush that will clean both the terminals and the connecting, or inner, portion of the cables. Over time, corrosion can build up. When that happens, the connection becomes less stable and affects your battery’s ability to hold a charge. That can make it more difficult – even impossible – for your charging system to crank the engine in the cold weather.
Change Your Oil
The cooler it is outside, the thicker your motor oil becomes. Remember that thick oil cannot lubricate your car’s engine and its related parts as effectively. Without that lubrication, the friction will begin to damage the parts. So, make sure you change the viscosity of the oil you’re using during the winter in order to compensate for the cold. If you live in an area that experiences freezing temperatures, use a 10W-40 or 5W-40 viscosity.
Check Your Tires
I always recommend winter tires, especially if you’re driving on icy roads. Winter tires are not an advertising gimmick; they’re designed with special treads that provide better traction and more control. That means your tires will be more responsive. Also, check your tire pressure and monitor it regularly throughout the winter months. If the pressure is too low or too high, the treads will wear more quickly.
Warming Up For The Cold Weather
The days of sitting in your car, shivering for 10 minutes while your engine warms up are long gone. But, you should still let the engine run for 15 to 20 seconds before putting it into drive. The reason is to allow the oil (a low-viscosity oil, right?) to properly lubricate the parts.
In the same way that your body is stiff when you wake up on a cold morning, your car also needs a little time to get moving. So, let it idle for a few seconds. Also, use a low-viscosity oil that can thoroughly lubricate the parts, keep your eyes on the tire pressure, and clean the corrosion from the battery. If you do only those 4 things, you’ll find that the cold winter months won’t leave your vehicle sick and out of commission.
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