While most people love the winter season, for vehicle owners, winter might mean more work as caution is extra needed while driving on the icy road. And to do this, it both requires the right driving skills and good vehicle condition.
As with the latter, there are specific areas you have to look into from time to time to ensure a smooth winter trip. Here are five of them:
BATTERY
Car batteries work extra harder to power an engine during cold seasons than during warm ones. Hence, it pays to be extra keen in checking how your battery is before commencing your every trip.
For the charge, the safer path would be to maintain a full charge most of the time. However, during unforeseen circumstances that may cause your battery to drain, bear in mind that a charge of 12.4 volts at a minimum will do fine. Anywhere beyond that will be risky and might necessitate a rescue from your trusted roadside assistance and tow service provider. .
As for the connectors, also make sure that they are kept clean and perfectly attached to the battery’s terminal posts. Also, it pays to ensure that your battery cables have no breaks or splits that can potentially cause corrosion. Otherwise, a clean connection to the battery may be hampered which means your vehicle will not be able to receive any power.
ENGINE OIL
It is best to change your engine and filter oil as a pre-winter preparation. Moreover, a thinner oil will come in handy during winter, especially if you’re residing in Union and Essex County where temperature can drop below freezing point.
As per the experts, modern synthetic oil is also worth trying out during winter as it can provide better anti-friction protection, allowing the oil supply to withstand longer for greater distance, compared to conventional motor oil
FLUIDS
Your vehicle’s fluid levels are another thing to keep an eye on during winter. Make sure your transmission oil, brake fluid, and power steering fluid are at sufficient levels. And should you plan to travel under snowfalls, note that a windshield fluid will help keep unnecessary freezing.
TIRES
While it appears that regular tires will do fine on icy roads, the traction they can provide is insufficient. To avoid getting into road accidents during winter, it is best to invest in all-season radial tires or winter tires with enough tread. At the core, these tires can perform with versatility on different weather conditions, including on wet and icy roads.
EXTERIOR TREATMENTS
If your vehicle has dents or other exterior issues, winter is not the best time to deal with them as the cold weather can just make the corrosion worse. Make sure to have this well taken care of before the winter sets in.
However, just as the saying goes, even the best-maintained vehicles can still get caught up in road accidents or misfortunes. For instance, a simple running-over-a-sharp-object can cause your tires to deflate, thereby ruining your trip.
To keep yourself prepared against such unfavorable circumstances, do not hesitate to save the digits of a truly reliable 24 hr towing and roadside assistance company like Marathon Towing. You need not handle it all by yourself; entrust the job to the real road experts. Give us a call!