How To Protect Your Car From Cold

Carla Louisse
Oct 18, 2022
5 min read

Car care in the winter is as vital as personal care during the cold months. It's crucial to stay hydrated, have the proper gear to avoid slips and falls, and, most importantly, remain warm as the temperature drops. When the weather becomes cold, we have to take extra care of ourselves, and our automobiles do.

Even newer vehicles might suffer damage from the cold if drivers make some typical blunders. Taking safety measures now might prevent costly injuries or accidents down the road. Like most drivers, you're endangering yourself and severely harming your vehicle.

Tips to protect your car from old.

1. Warm Up Your Vehicle's Engine

By letting the engine warm up, the oil will thin and flow more freely, lubricating all the moving components and preventing wear and tear. Begin your car warming up for two or three minutes to get the oil circulating around. Ensure the exhaust is clean and the garage door is open before starting the car's engine. Carbon monoxide poisoning may occur if not.

2. All-Weather Tires

All-season tires can handle both dry and wet pavement with ease. If snowfall levels rise over a certain threshold, they become unsafe for use in driving conditions. When it comes to handling snow and ice, they fall short. This is because winter tires have tread patterns optimized for driving on ice and snow. Drivers who reside in temperate regions that do not experience severe cold, ice, and snow in the winter may benefit from all-season tires. If you buy quality snow tires, you can keep them in your garage all summer.

3. Control the temperature inside.

To do this, you will rely on the tried-and-true method of turning on the air conditioner. I don't see why you'd turn on the air conditioner in the middle of December. As a result of being contained, the air within the cabin quickly becomes quite humid. The frequent occurrence of fogging while driving is one of the most apparent results of this. The second issue is that the damp air is kept in the automobile even after you get out, causing structural damage. In the winter, the best dehumidifying you can expect is the brief blasts of air conditioning.

4. Be Sure to Check the Battery

Take preventative measures to save yourself from the agony of a dead automobile battery. Having a properly charged and healthy battery is essential in the colder months. Leaving your vehicle parked or sitting outdoors in the cold for extended periods may be hard on the battery. Check the condition of your battery at a nearby service station. Having your vehicle break down on a challenging road is a nightmare scenario no driver ever wants to face.

5. Make sure your lights and wipers are in working order.

When the weather becomes cold, you'll have less time of day to make your drive home. This implies you should check your lights and fix them if they aren't operating correctly. It may be time to replace that dim or burned-out light bulb. As the temperature drops, windshield wipers become crucial. In the event of poor weather conditions, such as snow, rain, or fog, it is essential to check visibility beforehand.

6. Maintain it clean

Winter is a crucial time to keep your automobile clean. You can prevent rust and oxidation from occurring in winter on your car by giving it a good waxing before the cold weather sets in. A primer, undercoat, paint, and clear coat are applied before a vehicle is released from the manufacturer. When temperatures drop, salt and other particles may find a home on your automobile, where they may do damage by adhering and then eroding. Vehicles frequently washed in the winter will have their paint and other external components preserved for the long haul. Keep your ceramic coating in good condition to stop harmful substances from penetrating your paintwork.

7. Always do schedule maintenance.

This is one of the most fundamental but crucial measures you can take when it comes to keeping your automobile safe from the cold. You may have a hefty repair charge if you neglect maintenance such as oil changes and inspections. Your car is an investment that has already cost you hundreds of dollars, so taking good care of it is essential. Checking your car regularly will save you money on maintenance and repairs down the road. As a bonus, doing so will ensure that your vehicle is in peak condition all year round, not just during the winter.

8. Kit for Survival in an Emergency in a Car

You've likely seen vehicles becoming stuck on roads and highways during the winter, or you've experienced it yourself. Of which some don't move for hours at a time. That's why it's wise to bring along some survival gear. If you must wait for assistance, consider the following.

9. Keep up with the Manufacturer's Suggested Oil Change Intervals

Maintenance like oil changes are needed all year, but they become more crucial in the winter. Colder temperatures decrease the flow of oil and other engine fluids, making your car work harder to move. Engine oil that is dirty, polluted, and low on oil may further increase this strain. Ensure you follow the oil change intervals suggested by the car's maker. Get an oil change early if you're approaching near to requiring one to protect your vehicle from the harsh winter conditions.

10. Remember to Inspect the Radiator, Belts, and Hoses

The dangers of cold weather to your radiator, belts, and hoses are often overlooked. Antifreeze and water are combined to make the radiator fluid. The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas antifreeze is an astonishing -36 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to this, your radiator fluid may partially freeze on freezing winter nights. This is particularly the case if your drink is stale, polluted, or low in volume. Flushing the radiator's fluid once in a while helps keep it safe. In addition, a technician will inspect the belts and hoses that support them for wear and tear.

11. Check the treads of your tires.

Tire responsiveness becomes more critical when snow and ice pile on the roadways. Ensure your tires have at least 2/32 of an inch of tread to safeguard yourself and your car. For more information, see our how-to on measuring tire tread depth. It's also essential to look for symptoms of rubber rot and tread wear that's not uniform.

12. Inspection and Repair of Headlight Bulbs

Winter's short days and long nights will test your car's headlights. Make sure your headlights are shining strong and correctly by double-checking their operation. If you find that one of your headlights is dim or completely out, you may just need to change the bulb. Yellowed or dim headlights might be the result of corroded lenses. To avoid driving in the dark during the winter, get this problem fixed by a headlight restoration service.

Keep your gas tank at least half full all winter long. If your gas tank is full, condensation won't have a chance to build and freeze your fuel lines. The empty portion of your gas tank is susceptible to condensation. Condensation may cause gasoline line freeze-ups in cold weather. To avoid this, you should always keep your tank at least halfway full, especially in the winter.

It doesn't take a pro to realize that cars aren't exactly made for the harsh conditions of winter. Vehicles are sophisticated devices that properly function with hundreds of mechanical and electrical parts. Both of these structures are vulnerable to the destructive effects of subzero temperatures. Not to mention road salt's irreversible damage to a vehicle's paint and chassis, which we haven't even touched on yet.