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As the weather gets colder, the way we need to maintain our vehicles changes. While summer heat can make it hard to keep your vehicle cool, you have a different set of issues in the winter. Winter weather can present dangers to your engine and increase the likelihood of a traffic accident. Winterproofing your vehicle is all about preventing these types of problems.
The most important part of winterproofing your car is having a good coolant mix. Your car circulates coolant through the engine in order to keep it at a safe operating temperature. During warmer weather, the coolant ratio isn’t especially important. You could even get away with all water and no antifreeze. In the winter, however, it’s crucial to have a good mix of water and antifreeze in your car’s cooling system. If there isn’t enough antifreeze, the water runs a risk of freezing. You definitely don’t want chunks of ice in your engine. On the other hand, if you have too much antifreeze, the cooling efficiency won’t be optimized. Keep a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and stuff.
One common belief is that you need to let the car idle for five to ten minutes to warm up it before driving it in cold weather. This is actually incorrect, as warming the car up on a fuel injected car doesn’t actually accomplish anything that driving it wouldn’t. It actually can be harmful to your car if you drive an older carbureted engine vehicle. If you’re warming your car up, it should be for comfort or to defrost your windows and windshield. On that topic, make sure your windshield wipers are in good condition. Ineffective wipers will cause problems in rain, but especially in potentially freezing conditions. Make sure your tires have a good amount of tread for driving on potentially slick surfaces.
