{"id":2160,"date":"2021-11-29T14:27:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T14:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ip-10-50-124-184.ec2.internal\/blog\/?p=2160"},"modified":"2022-08-04T15:40:13","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T20:40:13","slug":"how-to-prep-your-car-for-winter-driving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/29\/how-to-prep-your-car-for-winter-driving\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prep Your Car for Winter Driving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For most of the U.S., winter is on its way or has already made an appearance with a snowfall or two. Winter can be a precarious season for driving, between ice storms, snow storms, fallen leaves and more. But with a few basic maintenance steps, you can make sure your car is road-ready, whatever weather may find you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Prep Your Tires for\nWinter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your tires are very\nimportant to your safety on the road and require <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2021\/10\/06\/the-basics-of-tire-maintenance\/\">routine maintenance<\/a>, especially as seasons change. There are a few items\nto check off your list before winter arrives: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Check tire tread. <\/strong>Because winter roads can be so slippery, it\u2019s important to make sure your tires have good traction. Check the tread on your tires to make sure it\u2019s not too low and replace your tires if needed. <br> <\/li><li><strong>Check your tire pressure. <\/strong>When the temperature drops, so will your tire pressure. Make sure your tires are in proper range and fill up with extra air if the pressure is too low. <br> <\/li><li><strong>Consider snow tires. <\/strong>If you live in a particularly snowy or icy climate, you might opt for special winter tires. They may lower your gas milage but provide much better traction. You can swap them out at the end of the season. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Check Your Car\u2019s Fluids,\nBrakes, Battery, and Blades for Winter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you know your tires\nare good to go, you should check other key components for your vehicle that\nwill keep it running smoothly in cold weather: &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Check your\nfluids. <\/strong>Top off any fluids that may\nneed it, including antifreeze and brake fluid. You should also change out your\noil if it needs it, and consider purchasing winter washer fluid, which is less\nlikely to freeze in very cold temperatures. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Inspect your brakes. <\/strong>Winter can be extremely hard on brakes, between slippery roads, salt and more. Make sure your brakes are in optimal condition and schedule any repairs or replacements that might be needed. Not sure if it\u2019s time for a brake job? Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/18\/six-signs-your-car-may-need-new-brakes\/\">six signs that your brakes may need replacing<\/a>. <br> <\/li><li><strong>Check your battery. <\/strong>Car battery functionality goes down in winter, and negative temperatures can make it harder for it to start especially if the battery is older. Test the battery with a reader to make sure it\u2019s performing well and replace it if needed. <br> <\/li><li><strong>Keep an eye on wiper blades. <\/strong>Ice easily wears down windshield wiper blades. Start the winter season out with a fresh pair and replace as needed \u2013 even consider keeping a spare set in your car in case you need new ones while on the road. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Prep Your Car for a\nWinter Weather Emergency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, there are a few last items to keep in mind to ensure you\u2019re ready for winter: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Pack an emergency kit. <\/strong>It\u2019s good to be prepared for whatever may happen in case you end up stranded for a few hours or even a day. Make sure your car is packed with an emergency kit suitable for your particular needs and climate. Learn what to consider including in your kit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/04\/what-to-pack-in-your-cars-emergency-kit\/\">in this article<\/a>. <br><\/li><li><strong>Keep your gas tank half full. <\/strong>In cold weather, moisture can build up in your gas tank, which can wreak havoc on your vehicle long term. Do your best to always keep your gas tank at least half full to help prevent this. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your car has been winterized, you can hit the road with confidence. If an accident happens on icy, snowy roads, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2020\/12\/28\/5-tips-for-staying-safe-and-social-distancing-after-an-auto-accident-this-winter\/\">follow these safety tips<\/a> to collect accident information, submit a claim, and seek repairs.  If you find yourself in need of auto body repairs over the winter or any time of year, Carwise &nbsp;can help you find the perfect shop near you. Search Carwise.com and read reviews from real customers, find shop hours and locations, before and after photos, and certifications. With more than 21,000 shops to choose from, Carwise.com will help you find your perfect fit. Get started today: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/auto-body-shops\/\">https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/auto-body-shops\/<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[90,280],"class_list":["post-2160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-care-tips","tag-car-maintenance","tag-winter-driving"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Prep Your Car for Winter Driving - Auto Body Shop Blog - Carwise.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/29\/how-to-prep-your-car-for-winter-driving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Prep Your Car for Winter Driving - Auto Body Shop Blog - Carwise.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For most of the U.S., winter is on its way or has already made an appearance with a snowfall or two. 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