With the climate shifting from the warm summer season to fall, and in certain areas almost winter, there are certain hazards that car owners must be aware of, some include hail, sleet, wind, freezing temperatures, or even falling trees. The best way to avoid such exposures is to prepare your car for winter. This will not only help to promote safer driving, but also ensure the wellbeing of your engine and maintain the value of your car.

Crazy weather and your car

The following are some of the best ways of protecting your car from bad weather and its elements.

Safeguarding the paintwork

Winter can take a very heavy toll on your cars’ exterior. For instance, ice, snow, and mud can dull its shine and paint. In addition, salt from roads can land on the body leading to rust. All these issues may seem minor, but in reality, they can significantly affect the value of your car. To safeguard your cars’ paint job, you add a good layer of wax to it or apply some sort of ceramic coating that will be tougher and last much longer, offering reliable and adequate protection.

Cleaning

During the winter season, salt can be your cars’ greatest enemy. Its corrosive nature typically causes rust. This means that even if you may want to slack off when it comes to washing your vehicle because of the cold winter season, you should gather up all your strength and do it. In addition, regularly cleaning your car when there are freezing temperatures outside is actually much more important under such conditions than when it is hot.

Another thing you should remember is to wash your car on the inside, outside and undercarriage. When it comes to the interior, you can swap out the material floor mats for rubber ones since they are much more efficient at trapping the water coming from the snow caught on boots. Rubber mats will also ensure there is no discoloration of the car floor.

Prep your tires

Tires are literally the most important aspect of your vehicle during the winter. This means that if yours worn out or damaged, you should replace them as soon as possible. Tires lacking tread will result in less traction on the road, which in turn increases the possibility of skidding. You should also check on your tires’ air pressure, since poorly inflated ones can comprise traction. Furthermore, you should consider adding a tire coating to keep your tires clean and help repel ice and snow.

Mechanics

It is essential that before winter fully sets in you prepare your engine and car in general for the extreme upcoming weather conditions. Some of the areas you can start with include wiper blades, anti-freeze levels, lights, battery, and the defrosting and heating system. For instance, most people do not know that coolant (anti-freeze) is important for both summer and winter. During the warm season, it helps to keep the engine cool, and during the winter, it ensures that it does not freeze. You should also check your oil and switch it out in case its dirty.