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Winterize Your Vehicle with Premier Autos of Dallas
It’s the season to winterize your vehicle. Winter has its own set of rules when it comes to your car, truck, SUV, or minivan. The demands of winter take a toll on your vehicle, and you don’t want to be stuck out in the cold. If you live in or near Garland, Grapevine, or Greenville, our experts at Premier Autos of Dallas can inspect your vehicle and will advise you on winter maintenance procedures to keep your vehicle functioning well and to keep you safe.
Tips for Winterization
It is important to keep your vehicle maintained in all weather conditions, but in extreme winter conditions it’s even more necessary. You should begin winterization with the following procedures:
- Winter wiper installation
- Winter tire installation
- Fill washer fluid
- Pack a winter safety kit
- Regular maintenance and service
- Inflate your tires to proper PSI
- Keep your gas tank half full
- Clean all debris from your vehicle
- Keep your rear window defroster functioning
Eleven Ways to Winterize
- Service for winter:
- Battery: When temps drop, so does battery power - a proper winter battery should be above 600 CCA for best winter performance.
- Cooling System: Best practice for this system is to maintain a 50/50 to 70/30 antifreeze to water ratio.
- Brakes: Have the brake system inspected for condition and function.
- Belts, wires, cables, spark plugs, and hoses: Although any of these parts can go bad at any time, you may be in for a long, cold wait in the winter.
- Winter Tires: Winter tires provide maximum traction. In cold winter months, non-winter tires can get hard, reducing their ability to grip the road.
- Tire Pressure: For every 10 degrees of change in temperature, you could lose 1 PSI of pressure. Check pressure often to ensure your tires are properly inflated.
- Drastic changes in temperature: Big temperature changes can lead to big problems with your traction and your ability to drive.
- Winter wipers: These are better equipped to handle frost and snow on your windshield.
- Full reservoir of washer fluid: Certain washer fluids can help de-ice your windshield. Keep them filled up to help your visibility in bad weather.
- Winter safety kit: Put together an emergency kit for the winter.
- Matches
- First Aid Kit
- Flares
- Flashlight and Batteries
- Ice scraper
- Non-perishable food and beverage items
- Warm clothing: Extra Jacket, hat, socks, boots
- Blanket
- Jumper cables
- Bag of sand & a shovel
- Car tool kit
- Cell phone
- Extra Anti-freeze
- Keep gas tank at least half full.
- Keep rear window defroster in working order.
- Learn winter preparedness.
- Don’t leave your car in a storm for risk of losing sight of it.
- Do not run your car for a long time; turn it on enough to keep you warm and then turn it off again to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Turn on dome lights to attract attention.
- Learn how to drive in winter conditions.
- Have proper gear for driving in snow or ice.
- Drive at slower speeds.
- Maintain lengthier stopping distances between vehicles and objects.
- Know how to handle your vehicle if you begin sliding.
- Practice driving up and down hills.
Take all the necessary steps to stay safe in winter conditions, and if you need winter maintenance, contact us to set up an appointment or set it up online.