01/14/2025
WINTERIZE YOUR VEHICLE
Your mode of transportation is important to you and your family. So, "winterizing" your vehicle is important as part of your routine preventative maintenance. Here's a small checklist:
Tires - Inspect tread depth and consider switching to dedicated winter tires if you live in an area with heavy snow or ice.
Battery - Have your car battery tested and replaced if necessary, as cold temperatures can significantly reduce its performance. 12.4-12.6V is a strong healthy battery, but you want to check your vehicle's manual for the CCA (cold cranking amps) necessary for a start.
Coolant - Check the coolant level and ensure it's mixed with the correct proportion of antifreeze to prevent freezing in cold weather. If you haven't done a coolant flush and replaced it while inspecting the hoses, you may want to do that as well.
Wiper blades - Replace worn wiper blades with winter-specific ones designed to handle snow and ice buildup.
Washer fluid - Use a de-icing windshield washer fluid that won't freeze in cold temperatures. The freezing point of this fluid is lower than typical washer fluid (or water) and will ensure you can still see our your window for safe vehicle operation.
Lights (see photos) - Check all exterior lights, including headlights, high beams (brights), fog lights (if equipped), and brake lights, to ensure they are functioning properly. If you they are not, inspect the wiring and bulbs for filament (see photos - Good filament is connected where the bad filament is missing or burned).
Oil - Consider changing your engine oil to a "winter weight" oil that performs better in cold conditions. The "W" in the description of the oil is the viscosity rating during cold temperatures aka "Winter." The lower the number, the thinner the oil.
Emergency kit - Keep an emergency kit in your car with items like a blanket, flashlight, jumper cables, first aid supplies, and a phone charger. It also helps to have a solar-powered battery bank, if you have enough room for it.
These are just SOME of the steps to getting your vehicle ready for Winter. If you don't want to do these things yourself, shoot us a message and Turtle's Garage will do it for you.
