Essential Tips for Winter Car Care | Self Storage Plus
This article will provide readers with essential advice for maintaining their cars during the winter months.
With the dropping temperatures and accumulating snow, winter can pose a threat to drivers and take a toll on your vehicle. That’s why it’s best to get adequate car care for winter before the temperatures drop. Allow our team at Self Storage Plus to provide essential winter car care tips and information you need to give your ride the winter auto care it needs.
How To Prepare Your Car for Winter
Proper car maintenance for winter ensures your vehicle stays reliable in cold weather. Whether you’re gearing up for van life in the winter or adding extra protection to your hot rod, a little preparation goes a long way. Here are seven essential tips to include in your winter car service checklist.
1. Check Your Tire Pressure
One great place to start your winter car check is your tires. Due to decreasing temperatures, tire pressure can rise and fall rapidly. In addition, tires must tread across layers of snow and ice during the winter. That’s why it’s essential to check your tires regularly to see that they aren’t leaking air and are well inflated.
Although many gas stations or rest stops offer tire air-filling stations, it’s a good idea to invest in a tire inflator.
2. Change the Air Filter
Another change to make this winter is to buy a new air filter for your car. A clogged filter restricts airflow and lengthens the time needed to warm up your car and defrost your windshield. To hit the road faster, get a replacement air filter and free up the airflow quickly. If you’re unsure how to replace your air filter, contact your local car maintenance shop or dealership for help.
3. Check Your Battery
A fully charged battery is another key to fewer car troubles throughout the winter. While an uncharged car battery can start to slow down at freezing point, a fully charged battery will not freeze until it reaches approximately -76° F. Contact your local technician to get your car battery checked.
4. Make Sure Your Headlights Work
Working headlights will be your best friend as you drive through the longer winter nights. Before the first snowfall, make sure your headlights work like they should. We recommend you also check your blinkers, as dysfunctional headlights increase the risk of an accident or receiving a ticket.
5. Replace Your Windshield Wipers
When you walk out to your car in the morning, it’s very common to notice frost or snow covering your windshield. Alongside functioning headlights, a fresh pair of windshield wipers is another key component to a safer driving experience during the winter months.
Once you’ve replaced your wipers, check that your windshield wiper fluid levels are at full and that you have an ice scraper on hand.
6. Test Your Heater
It’s a great idea to check your heater alongside your air filter. A well-functioning heater will be a gift to your car when you need to defrost windshields or keep yourself and your passengers warm throughout the season. If you notice any difficulty with airflow, pungent smells, or slow heating times, check with your local technician about receiving maintenance on your car heater.
7. Protect Your Car’s Exterior
Washing away the grime and gunk from your car’s exterior does more than make your car look nice. A good cleaning also shields your car from sleet or road salt, which can wear out your vehicle’s paint job. To get the best results at a fraction of the long-term cost, we recommend you invest in car exterior cleaning equipment, such as sponges, cleaning solutions, and wax.
How To Winterize Your Car
The process of preparing your car for the winter is known as winterization. Whether you have a classic car to shield or need to keep your RV or boat away from the winter weather, there are several precautions and preventive measures to take to winterize your vehicle. Here are some of our car winterization tips:
- Get your car serviced. Prevent future challenges by getting your car serviced before the freezing temperatures arrive.
- Switch to winter tires. Give your vehicle better traction on slick surfaces with a new set of winter tires.
- Keep the washer fluid full. Refill it frequently to help keep your windshield clear and in good condition.Â
- Keep your gas at least half full. A full tank prevents condensation in your tank and helps prevent gas line freeze-ups.
- Pack an emergency kit. Items to pack include a fully stocked first aid kit, a coat, a pair of gloves, a flashlight, matches, and an ice scraper.Â
Invest in Winter Car Storage
At day’s end, you’ll need a secure place to keep your car away from the elements. That’s where renting car storage comes to the rescue. Gone are the days of shoving your vehicle into tight garages or leaving it exposed in your driveway.
The best car storage, which you can find at Self Storage Plus, offers several sizes of vehicle parking and access to many amenities, such as a long list of security features.
Get Premier Vehicle Storage This Winter at Self Storage Plus
When you need a winter car care solution, turn to Self Storage Plus. Our vehicle storage is available in many sizes, includes several amenities, and is priced at competitive monthly rates. By reclaiming some much-needed space in your garage or driveway, we’ll help you make Room to Pursue Life®.
To rent or reserve your winter vehicle storage space, find your nearest Self Storage Plus location or contact our team online today!