Driving in the cold of the winter unprepared is just another accident waiting to happen. If you care about your safety, the best thing to do is to prepare your vehicle before driving out under icy or snowy conditions. A FIAT dealer near Silver City, NM made a basic checklist of what to do to make your car winter-ready.
Get your battery tested
RAM dealers around Deming, NM agreed that the first step to winter-proofing your car is to check your car battery because its power tends to drop whenever it gets cold. Have the starter, battery, and the charging system checked before trying to drive your vehicle on an icy road. You should always get a professional to check your car battery, although some motorists can do it on their own by checking the owner’s manual for guidance.
Also, don’t forget to clean and protect your battery terminals from corrosion. Extreme weather can always lead to corrosion buildup, which weakens your charging system. Rust will cause your battery to stop recharging and can leave you stranded when you least expect it.
Consider getting winter tires.
Winter tires are specifically designed to give you better control, keep your vehicle from skidding, and give it more traction while driving on icy or wet roads. However, if you don’t have enough budget for an extra set of tires, using some all-season tires should do. Just make sure that the minimum tread depth is maintained. Otherwise, you would need to replace all tires to prevent yourself from getting into a car accident.
Regularly check your tire pressure.
Whether you use winter tires or all-season tires, always check that you have the right tire pressure. Deflation, the leading cause of tire wear and tear, is quite normal when the temperature is below 32 degrees. As Dodge dealers near Alamogordo, NM warn, underinflated or worn tires are hazardous to drive on wet, icy roads.
Inspect your brakes, belts, and hoses.
Winter driving always puts a tremendous amount of stress on your brakes, belts, and hoses. For this reason, you need to make sure that everything is in good working order. Have a professional check for any signs of wear and tear that can lead to accidents. Also, don’t forget to replace your brake fluid with a formula rated for cold weather use. Using the right fluid will prevent winter precipitation from entering and messing with your brake system.
Always bring a winter emergency kit.
You need to prepare for the worst just in case you find yourself stranded inside your car in the middle of a snowstorm. An emergency kit will serve as your lifesaver if this scenario happens. A winter emergency kit must include easy-to-open food and water, warm clothes, extra boots and gloves, a blanket, ice scraper, small shovel, flares, jumper cable, flashlight, windshield washer fluid and wipers, first-aid kit, tool kit, spare tire, and tire-changing equipment.
Don’t drive out during the winter unprepared. If you want to know more about how to get your vehicle ready to dry on wet, slushy, or icy roads, check out Viva CDJRF for more helpful tips.
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