A Driver's Winter Survival Guide

You're probably aware that Winter weather and road salt can wreak havoc on your vehicle. If you want it to last many more Winters, you must prepare before the season hits. A great place to start is reading this guide.

A Driver's Winter Survival Guide

These are the steps required to prepare your car for Winter:

• Check your battery, and clean the terminals. Car batteries work much harder during Winter, significantly if the oil has thickened. You can use a computerized battery tester to test your battery, and if it's at the end of its rope, replace it. Then, clean the battery terminals and apply a protectant spray.
• Top up with antifreeze. If you dilute coolant with water and the water freezes, your engine will overheat.
• Do a pre-winter inspection. This includes checking the brakes, tire tread, pressure, lights, belts, wiper blades, and defroster and replacing your brake fluid.
• Switch to Winter tires. According to Aceable, winter tires have a deeper tread that “allows for better traction in snowy, slushy, icy, and rainy conditions.” Switching your tires can prevent at-fault accidents.
• Apply ceramic coating. Ceramic coating lasts 12+ months and works on exterior paint, wheels, glass, and interior surfaces. Furthermore, this hydrophobic surface shields against road salt, dirt, and UV rays. So, ceramic coating can protect your vehicle from rusting and corrosion.
• Wash the entire car regularly. Clean everything, including the undercarriage, to remove salt particles. The undercarriage is especially vulnerable to corrosion and rusting.
• Lubricate the window tracks. Freezing water can seep into the window tracks and create drag when you try to open the window. Then, that drag can damage the window regulator cables, costing hundreds of dollars.
• Lubricate parts of your vehicle that could freeze up. It would be best if you lubed the weather stripping so you don't get frozen out of your car. Lubricate the latch mechanism to ensure that you can always open the hood. Lastly, lube the lock cylinders so they don't corrode and make it impossible to use your key.
• Switch to Winter wiper blades. Do so for better visibility and to prevent streaking and ice from packing.
• Check and replace your hood lifts. If they're difficult to move in Winter, replace them because they could stop working in freezing temperatures.
• Keep a Winter survival kit in your automobile. Make sure to include:
  1. A flashlight
  2. A candle-powered heater
  3. A pencil and a notepad
  4. A cell phone charger
  5. A compact tire inflator
  6. A bag of cat litter or floor sweep absorbent (to regain traction on ice)
  7. A small tool kit (zip ties, screwdrivers, pliers, duct tape, and an adjustable wrench)
  8. A small shovel
  9. Jumper cables
  10. A first-aid kit
  11. A can of Fix-a-Flat
  12. ​Warm gloves, a hat, and a blanket
• Check the condition of your coolant. Make sure you have enough coolant of good quality in your vehicle.
• Do NOT use the car wash. The water can freeze your locks and door handles and corrode the surfaces. When we detail your vehicle in our heated studio, your car is completely dry before it is delivered back to you.
• Make sure your tire pressure works for Winter. The ideal tire pressure is 30 to 35 PSI.
• Consider getting a rust inspection. A professional will be able to tell you what essential repairs to get.

So, if you live in West Michigan, call Garza Detailing at 616-836-7465 or fill out our detailing form for a quote. We can detail your car and apply the ceramic coating for ultimate protection.

 Drive safely this Winter!

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