Kate on Cars - October 2011
Kate’s Basic Winter Car Care Tips
Sonoma
county doesn’t have as much of a winter as other parts of the country, but
there are temperature changes here, and seasonal rain. We need to make special preparations to
try to reduce the chance of getting caught in a bad spot with our cars.
Cold
weather and rain or snow can cause your car to react differently. Metal parts expand and contract with
temperature changes. Rubber components can get dry and brittle. Electricity flows differently through
cold batteries, wires and circuit boards than through hot ones. Belts and hoses can be affected by cold
weather.
Three of the most important car
winterization concerns I suggest to all my customers are as follows:
Windshield clarity
Wiper blades wear out and should be
replaced every 6 months. They eventually crack and fray and don’t do their job
– which is to clear the windshield for you and allow you to see clearly in all
types of winter weather.
Another
way to ensure you can see out your windshield is water repellent
on the glass. One popular brand is
“Rain X.” It will have to be
removed and reapplied about once a year, but that stuff works great. The water practically falls off the
windshield when using such a product.
You’ll also be much safer and
happier on cold or frosty days if your car’s defrost function works without
fail.
Driving in the rain
Make sure you have good tires and
brakes. Wet roads reduce traction, making it harder to control your car. Good, deep tread allows water to be
pushed away from the tire, keeping as much traction between the tire and road
as possible. That will help you with
control of your car as well. Good
tires can help you stop safely and quickly on wet roads, which we all know are
a winter reality here in Sonoma County.
Although you can inspect your tires
to a certain point yourself, it can be really tough to accurately figure what
is or is not a safe tire. And it’s almost impossible to see all of the tire. Have your repair shop put the vehicle
on a lift to really take a good look.
Some suspension problems can cause tires to look good at first glance,
but upon more careful inspection it may be found that they have uneven wear
across the width of the tire.
Brakes are a given, and are always
really important. Especially so in the rain, where every inch of braking
distance counts.
You can’t go if it won’t start
All this safety stuff is really
important, but you’re going nowhere fast if your car won’t even start.
Batteries don’t like cold
weather. Their main job is to
store electrical energy to turn the starter to make your engine turn so it can
start. In cold weather, their
ability to do this is decreased.
It’s important to have your battery and charging system checked in
preparation for winter. It
wouldn’t be a bad idea to have it checked again mid-winter, especially if the
battery is more than a few years old.
Without question, weakened
batteries especially do not like cold.
If batteries freeze, they can sometimes be thawed enough to start a car
by turning the headlamps on for a couple minutes. This is not so much of an issue in Sonoma county, but a cool
trick to remember nonetheless.
If the battery fails, you could get
a jump-start, but wouldn’t it be better to avoid having to do that in the first
place?
Remember,
stuff happens
Even with superb planning and
preventative maintenance, stuff still happens. It’s wise to keep an emergency kit in your car including a
first aid kit, flares and safety triangles at the least. Know what to do and whom to call if you
get stuck. You might keep a list
of phone numbers in your glovebox, including the number for your repair shop,
AAA, your insurance company (who may offer roadside assistance), and also the
local police.
We’ll cover some other
winterization topics in future articles. Please feel free to email any of your
questions to me info@ktechautomotive.com.
Labels: ADVICE
