Winter Weather Car Maintenance Checklist

White SUV driving on icy road
Winter Weather Car Maintenance Checklist

Winter is here and making sure your car is prepared for an emergency is more important than ever. Here’s a simple winter maintenance checklist to help you prepare for the weather ahead.

1. Protect The Exterior

Give your car a good wash to scrub away the buildup that may have occurred during the summer and fall months. Once clean, apply a quality wax to your vehicle to help protect against the snow and road salt coming your way.

2. Change Your Oil

We often forget the importance of oil when it comes to winter vehicle maintenance, but this is a good time to make sure you’ve got fresh oil and consider making the change to synthetic or synthetic blend oil. Why does this matter? Synthetic flows freer and requires no time to warm up which can provide immediate protection to your engine during the harsh winter months.

3. Check Your Battery

Heat can take a serious toll on batteries and unfortunately, we are often unaware until cold weather strikes. Test your battery and replace it if necessary. You battery will be working harder during the colder months so it’s important to keep a check on it throughout winter.

4. Inspect Your Tires

Take a look at your tires and replace them if needed. If your tires don’t have sufficient depth, you may not have the traction needed to stay safe on the road. Depending on the average snowfall where you live, you may want to consider getting a set of snow tires for the winter.

5. Ensure Visibility

Make sure all of your lights are working. If any of your lights appear dim or yellow, replace the bulb and clean the lenses. It’s also important to make sure your windshield wipers are good, and you have plenty of deicing fluid in your windshield washer tank.

6. Check Your Antifreeze

Antifreeze is one of the most important chemicals when it comes to caring for your vehicle in the winter. Antifreeze uses either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol to prevent the water in your engine’s cooling system from freezing. You can use an antifreeze tester or take your vehicle to a mechanic to measure the antifreeze’s strength and determine the lowest temperature that your engine is protected from freezing.

So there you have it, six simple steps to make sure your vehicle is protected during the harsh winter months. If you want to make sure you’re covered in the event of an emergency, call your local Acceptance agent to discuss coverage options and roadside assistance today.