Chesapeake In The Know

Is your car ready for winter? Freezing precipitation and frigid temperatures can make it a challenge to get safely on the road each morning. Be ready for the freeze by preparing ahead of time. 

• Check your coolant system and antifreeze levels. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual can help with this.
• Switch to winter-grade windshield wiper fluid. This will work better at clearing an icy windshield, while the alternative could actually end up freezing on your windshield and making matters worse.
• Inspect your tires. A good tread and proper tire pressure is critical to keeping a grip on a slick roadway. Follow the tire manufacturer’s recommendations because not all tires are created equal.
• Test your battery. A cold engine is harder to start than a warm engine so you need your battery to be in tip top shape.

Winter is the season to give yourself more time before heading out each morning, knowing you’ll likely have a windshield to defrost. Speed up the process with one of the many commercial products out there or by spraying a mixture of 2 parts water plus one part isopropyl alcohol onto the window.  

If all of this sounds foreign to you, head to a nearby automotive shop and find a trusted professional who can help with a quick winter checkup.