35 / 100
times necessitate constant window
washing to see where you’re going.
Tires
“All-wheel drive is confidence-in-
spiring when you’re accelerating,
but it doesn’t help you when you’re
braking and turning,” says Woody
Rogers, director of product infor-
mation for Tire Rack. “Winter tires
are a must in areas where the tem-
perature regularly drops below 45
degrees,” Rogers adds, noting that
winter tires are more capable of
staying flexible at low temperatures.
This means that they can provide
improved traction when you’re try-
ing to stop and turn on cold pave-
ment, even if there’s no snow on
the ground.
Tire Pressure
It’s incredibly important to keep
track of your tire pressure as tem-
peratures get colder. This is be-
cause tire pressure can drop along
with the air temperature, losing up
to one pound per square inch with
every 10-degree drop in air tem-
perature. Driving around with low
tire pressure could mean premature
tire wear or potential tread separa-
tion, which could lead to a major ac-
cident. Also, your car handles less
predictably with underinflated tires.
If you check your tire pressure and
find that one or more of your tires
are low on air, fill them at a gas sta-
tion air pump and don’t forget to let
out a little air as temperatures start
to climb again in the spring.
Defroster and Climate Control
Before winter gets into full swing,
be sure to check your car’s win-
dow defroster and its climate con-
trol system to make sure both items
are still working properly. Their pur-
pose is obvious: The climate control
system will help keep you warm in
the winter (and can help keep your
windows from fogging up), while the
defroster will keep your windows
from icing up. Both items are crucial
to maintaining comfort and safety
throughout the winter.
Survival Kit
Although this isn’t a car care tip as
much as a winter preparedness tip,
we suggest considering a survival
kit for your vehicle if you want to re-
ally maximize your vehicle’s readi-
ness for winter. While it might sound
ridiculous for some urban drivers,
motorists in rural areas might find
themselves stuck on a deserted
road with heavy snow falling and
few vehicles around for miles. If
there’s even some possibility you’ll
end up on a road like this during
the winter, a survival kit is a good
idea. Select one that’s stocked with
a blanket, a first-aid kit, a knife, a
flashlight, jumper cables and a cell-
phone charger that works in your
vehicle’s cigarette lighter. We also
suggest keeping a shovel in your
vehicle’s trunk and some sort of de-
icer spray handy, so you can easily
access the engine or trunk in case
they’re frozen shut.