How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter

How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter

In Idaho, winter doesn’t arrive gently. Often, it will seem like the temperatures are relatively moderate and comfortable – until one day there is a foot of snow on the ground. To make sure you are ready whenever winter decides to arrive in full force, we’d like to offer you a few basic tips to prepare your vehicle for the months ahead. Fortunately, the steps you need to take to get your vehicle ready for the winter season aren’t particularly complicated, and most of them aren’t even expensive.

The key here, however, is to take action in advance of the weather conditions moving in. If you try to scramble to catch up once winter has already set in, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle like so many other people. Get ahead of the curve by preparing your vehicle as soon as possible and you can rest a little easier while watching those weather forecasts on the nightly news.

Start with the Tires

This is the obvious place to start when you think about winter driving, as you can’t necessarily count on the conditions under your tires to be as predictable as it is in the summer. If you expect to encounter some ice and snow during your winter driving – and you probably do – it’s a good idea to make sure you have a set of tires which is suitable for the conditions.

It should be noted that not everyone will need to drive around with studded tires just to be prepared for the winter. If you purchase a quality set of tires which is designed to deal with ice and snow properly, you may be able to get through the winter without studs. Of course, this depends on the exact kinds of conditions you plan to venture out on, and if you willing to stay home when the particularly nasty weather makes its way in. Think carefully about your winter driving habits before selecting a tire that you think will serve you well.

Power is Important

No matter what time of year it is, you always need a reliable battery to get you up and running, and to power your various electrical systems on board. That need is even more pronounced in the winter when the cold temperatures can drain your battery and make it tough to get the engine to turn over in the morning. Have your battery tested before winter arrives and consider purchasing a new battery if you are getting a little low on juice. You’d rather replace your battery a bit too early than a bit too late, as its no fun being stuck out in the cold with a car that just won’t start.

Give It a Clean

Cleaning is usually associated with the spring rather than the winter, but it actually makes quite a bit of sense to head into winter with a clean vehicle. You are sure to pick up quite a bit of dirt and debris as you drive around during the cold months, so start off with a clean slate to minimize the damage as you go. In addition to washing the outside of your car, give the inside a good cleaning so it is a more comfortable place to be. If you get into the habit of providing your vehicle with a deep clean prior to winter, and then again when spring arrives, you’ll never go too long without a proper cleaning.

Add Some Supplies

Despite your best plans, there is always the chance that you’ll wind up stuck when you venture out on a winter day. It might be that the forecast is off and far more snow moves in than was expected, or perhaps your vehicle simply encounters some difficulties and you need to wait a while for help to arrive. Whatever the case, it’s a good idea to keep some basic supplies in your vehicle just in case you have to spend some time in your car in the cold winter weather. Even a simple bag packed with a blanket, a few shelf-stable snacks, and an ice scraper would be a good start. You can think about your usual travels during the winter to decide how much of a kit you would like to pack up.

An Antifreeze Check

You don’t need to be a mechanic to understand that antifreeze is an important fluid to have in place in your vehicle when the temperatures plummet. Take the time to check the level of your antifreeze in accordance with the directions in your owner’s manual, and top it off, as necessary. This is a pretty basic task in most vehicles, but you can certainly bring your car or truck to Taylor & Sons Chevy for assistance if you don’t feel comfortable handling it on your own.

Adjust Your Habits

Okay – so this last one is cheating, just a bit. This isn’t actually something you need to do to prepare your vehicle, but rather to prepare yourself. Simply put, driving in the winter is not the same as driving in the summer. With the traction beneath your vehicle potentially compromised due to freezing conditions, you may not be able to accelerate and decelerate as cleanly as reliably as you can on warmer days. With that in mind, you’ll want to drive conservatively and provide yourself with plenty of room to stop. Increase your following distance, don’t attempt to start too quickly from a stop, and generally pay close attention to the conditions as they change.

If you need help getting your vehicle ready for the winter season, contact Taylor & Sons Chevrolet right away. With a great staff of professionals on hand and ready to assist, you can be sure we are up to the challenge. Whether you already know exactly what work you need to have done, or you would like some recommendations, our team looks forward to speaking with you. Thanks for reading and stay safe out there all winter long!

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