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Coping with the Cold Weather: 7 Car Care Tips for Changing Seasons
Prevent car problems during the cold weather by checking these 7 special areas of your automobile!
By: Viktor Austria | January 10, 2020
Don’t put a damper on your drives by ignoring these potential car issues.
If you’ve been enjoying the cold weather drafts even during the day, chances are, your car isn’t. The season has shifted, and although it’s easy for us to adjust to the rise and fall of the temperature, our cars will need extra care to keep up. If you're looking for a good list of car care tips for more efficient road trips, look no further. Make sure your auto is always well-adapted to the changing seasons by following these 7 trusty car care tips!
1. Retread your tires.
Avoid skidding, swerving, or busting a tire by retreading and correcting your air pressure.
When the wet season arrives, it brings with it damper roads and lower temperatures, and nothing in your car confronts these conditions as often as your tires. Coming out from the scorching dry season, your tires might be beat or unlevelled, and thus can result in a struggle when steering or driving. Hence, a timely alignment and rotation check-up might be in order.
Pay closer attention to your tire pressure indicator too. A drastic change in temperature can cause equally drastic changes to your tire pressure, causing your steers and turns to be uneven. Worse, if any of your tires are underinflated, it can cause a tire blowout, jeopardizing your safety on the road as well as that of other motorists. Also, a spare tire never hurts!
2. Change your oil.
Goopy clumps caused by the sudden drop of temperature should be gotten rid of ASAP.
The general advice is to have your oil and filter checked every 10,000 miles or on a six-month cycle, but the entry of colder climates is a good prompt too. Here’s why: if your oil becomes too thick from the cold weather, you’d probably encounter difficulties in starting your car, since the battery and the starter motor won’t be able to spin the engine fast enough with the viscous oil. If your oil stays too thin, however, then it won’t be able to lubricate and protect your engine.
When you hear your engine humming louder, it’s probably time. Check your car manual for the ideal oil viscosity, or find a good brand of multi-viscosity motor oil that shrinks when the temperature drops and expands when it rises.
3. Ensure your brake system is at its best.
A great deal of car accidents are still due to brake system malfunctions.
For a country whose weather is more frequently fickle than fair, the importance of routinely checking your brake system cannot be stressed enough. If you have had to pass through floodwaters or a terrible storm, or drive long distances under dry weather, your brake system may have mounted up moisture, or have been tainted with traces of copper. Either of those circumstances may cause your hydraulics to act up, leading to an unresponsive brake pedal—what mechanics call a “vapor lock”—and ultimately, to an unfortunate brake failure.
As often as you check your oil, have a systematic run-through of your brake system, too. Look into your rotors for hot spots and run-outs, and into the brake lines, wheel cylinders, and calipers for leaks and wears.
4. Keep your battery clean.
Be sure to have local hotlines of battery delivery services on your phone in case of a breakdown.
There’s nothing worse than driving through cold and frequently torrential weather and having your car’s battery break down on you in the middle of nowhere. This is because in colder temperatures, car engines need more load to turn over and batteries generally need twice as much current to start. To add, your battery may have also endured a tough summer season, when it’s the hottest under the hood. This causes battery fluid to evaporate faster, leading to increased corrosion, decreased capacity, and overall, reduced battery life.
Therefore, once the days get chilly, check on your battery right away. Make sure the battery connections are clean and clear of any corrosion before taking on any long-distance drives in the cold.
5. Watch your lights and wipers.
Your rear window’s wiper should be fully functional too.
Have you ever driven on a high altitude—say, Tagaytay or Benguet—through rainy, narrow ravines or fog-filled roads where there’s almost zero visibility? Along these tough terrains and amidst these rough elements, your sense of safety comes from capable wipers and lightings. Especially now when the nights are darker and longer, pairs of fully-functional headlights, taillights, and turn signals are crucial not only so you could see pedestrians and other cars, but also so they can see you.
Likewise, your windshield wipers should be in top shape. Several-years-old wiper blades may still wipe off water, but leave behind streaks and smears that can blur your vision. Test these lights and wipers before hitting the road. Check your lights’ lenses and illumination inside a garage through reflectors, and make it a habit to replace your wipers annually, at best.
6. Assess your air-conditioning system.
Preserve your car’s air-conditioning by not turning it on max for too long.
Another device you might have overworked during the hot summer months is your car’s air-conditioning system. You may find yourself using it less often as you welcome the cozy weather, but this doesn’t mean your AC won’t need its routine repairs.
If you’re experiencing warm air coming out of your car’s AC, check the refrigerant for leaks, or the compressor for ice build-up, as these may be signs that the cooling system needs a Freon boost. Have the condenser cleared of any dirt particles, as well as the air filters of any residue that can clog the airway. Dry out the evaporator to get rid of excess moisture and fog from the defogger. Don’t take your car’s AC for granted by delaying maintenance until it’s broken!
7. Consult a true car expert.
You might as well spend some extra cash for prevention rather than for renovation.
You can do the maintenance work yourself, but a second opinion from a true professional pays. Don’t wait until something breaks down; once you hear the slightest of odd noises or feel like something’s not working at their best, drive to the nearest auto shop right away for a tune-up. Don’t be afraid to ask for season-specific upgrades like fog lights, rainproof mirror films, mud flaps, or window visors, floor liners, or even a dehumidifier.
And as always, prevention is better than cure. A spare tire and external battery, as well as an emergency toolbox with essential tools like jumper cables and essential fluids, will help keep your mind at peace during your holiday road trips!
Looking for more car care tips? Make sure check out Yoorekka!
You and your car are in it for the long haul, so make sure it stays at the top of its game, no matter the weather!
About Viktor Austria
Viktor would love to receive an extra hour a day as a Christmas gift. That way, he won’t have to struggle over splitting his 24 hours among making brand copies and campaigns, writing children’s stories, going to the gym, commuting around Taguig, and feeding his two overweight cats. He hates the hustle culture, that’s why he’s thankful for friends who have time to spare on weekends, preferably over spicy ramen and cold bottles of beer.
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Disclaimer: All articles in the Consumers Magazine of Yoorekka are
for general information and entertainment purposes only. Although
careful research has been made in writing them, Yoorekka does not
make any warranty about the completeness and accuracy of all
information presented in our articles. Our content is not intended
to be used in place of legal, medical, or any professional advice.
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