Things to do in your vehicle as you enter winter
As we approach the end of autumn, we are going through the days when winter slowly makes itself felt. There are many factors that vehicle owners should pay attention to during the cold and rainy winter season. Not only vehicle owners, but also those who rent vehicles have to pay attention to this issue. Rainy and especially snowy periods can be challenging for vehicles. So, what should you do with your vehicle as we enter winter?
Complete Your Vehicle’s Service Maintenance:
Check the Battery:
Battery maintenance is the most important stage of winter vehicle maintenance. Drops in temperature during winter months may negatively affect the battery. According to research, the battery life of new vehicles is 5 years. After this period, maintenance operations must be carried out. You can also include it in replacement operations. In addition, you must repeat the maintenance procedures when entering and exiting the winter months.
Use Antifreeze:
Antifreeze is a liquid that cools the engine. As we enter the winter months, there should be 50% antifreeze and 50% water in the engine’s water tank. It would be appropriate to refresh this liquid regularly until the winter month is over.
Do Tire Maintenance:
Tires are the most important part of your vehicle in snowy weather and icy roads. It is essential that the tires that serve to ensure the brake balance of your vehicle are in good condition. Tire pressure, external conditions and other general conditions must be in order. Experts say that you should choose tires with a minimum tread depth of 3 mm for the winter season. Therefore, as you enter the winter season, you need to replace your tires with “winter tires”. You must keep chains in your car.
Perform Headlight Maintenance:
Make sure that the headlight system in your vehicle is working properly. Ensure checks for cleanliness and smooth operation. It is a control process that is needed not only for the winter months, but for all periods of the year.
Maintenance of Wipers and Glass Cleaning:
Be sure to clean the rear and front windows. Also, get help from antifreeze to prevent the windshield water from freezing. Check your wipers and make sure they are working properly. You can have maintenance done at this point if necessary .
Preparation for Long Trips:
If you are planning to go on a long trip in winter, be sure to check the weather. Take frequently travelled roads, not side roads. Also, do not speed unnecessarily. Adjust the speed level according to snow and ice conditions.
Have a Winter Malfunction Kit in Your Vehicle:
Considering the problems you may experience on long journeys, keep a winter malfunction kit in your vehicle. First aid kit, vital kits, breakdown kit, etc. keep everything. Make sure you have items such as a reflective vest, durable food and drink, a thermal blanket, a phone to call for emergency help, and a torch.
Check Vehicle Insurance:
Be sure to check the services provided by the insurance in case of an accident. Check whether the insurance company will provide you with towing service in case you get stranded. This is a very important issue. Therefore, be sure to check what services are covered by insurance.
Brake Check:
When your vehicle undergoes general maintenance, checks will be made, but be sure to check the brake pads, hydraulics and discs. Take spare fuel with you when you hit the road. One of the most important issues in case of possible mishaps is spare fuel.
WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR VEHICLE FOR WINTER
Winter maintenance of your vehicle is very important. Cold and challenging weather conditions, especially in winter, can negatively affect both us and your vehicle. Being caught unprepared will bring about the most disastrous scenarios, but we can say that it is time to prepare your vehicle for winter with the right timing. If you do not know how to properly prepare your vehicle for winter, in addition to the suggestions above, we can say the following;
Get Snow Tires:
If the winter season in the region you live in is harsh, your all-season tires should be replaced with snow tires. Be sure to do this without forgetting. Snow tires are built from a softer rubber composition. In this way, it shows high performance even in the harshest conditions. Snow tires have a special design to grip ice and snow elements firmly. There’s no need to get the wrong idea about snow tires. Of course, they cannot prevent slipping 100%, but they definitely provide more traction than normal tires.
Check Tire Pressure:
Let’s assume you haven’t changed your regular tires. At this point you need to keep it inflated to at least appropriate levels. Cold weather has the effect of reducing air pressure on tires. Every 10 degree decrease in temperature causes the tire air pressure to decrease by 1 psi. Take this into consideration and never ignore it. Properly inflated tires are especially important during the winter months. Air pressure has a healing and protective effect on the driving experience.
Perform Four-Wheel Traction Control:
In summary, the four-wheel drive system is based on the technology of transmitting the car’s engine power to all 4 tires. Thanks to the four-wheel drive system, better traction is provided while driving on icy and snowy roads. This is provided if the system is working correctly. Be sure to have this check done by a technician before the start of winter. Technician control ensures that everything is as it should be. This is one of the issues you should not ignore.
Make Oil Change:
Ensure viscosity values are at appropriate levels. The unit of measurement of the resistance of a fluid substance against deterioration and wear during surface tension is called viscosity. It is closely related to whether the liquid is thick or thin. In order for the engine to work properly, it must benefit from oil correctly, but cold weather will reduce its efficiency. The colder it gets outside, the thicker the oil will be.
We can say that thickened oils cannot circulate in the engine as easily as thin oils. As a result, your engine cannot get the oil it needs correctly during the starting phase. Thus, the car may not start and you may be stranded on the road. In order to prevent this situation caused by cold weather, you must first change it with thin oil. You can find the ideal viscosity by looking at the vehicle’s user manual. You can find all information about your vehicle’s viscosity values here.
Check Belts and Hoses:
Extremely hot weather or cold weather can weaken the belts and hoses that keep the engine running. It is certain that this situation will cause serious problems in the long term. As a precaution, be sure to check for wear and tear. Be sure to replace it as soon as you notice even minor wear. This change is very important. Because if the belt breaks while driving, your car will not start and you will have to wait for the tow truck to come and save you.
Check V-Belt:
V-belt is an extremely effective tool for automobiles. It has many tasks, from powering a car air conditioner to generating electricity. It also reduces the temperature in the engine and ensures stable and smooth operation of the steering. We know that the V-belt has a structure that can be affected in extreme cold. It can even be affected in the summer months when the heat is high. In the summer months, it may become loose from the heat. This causes many problems to arise in a chain. Many different situations may occur during the winter months due to cold. The V-belt should be checked at regular intervals.