It’s currently Autumn, the time of year when the leaves fall from the trees, teenage girls eat and drink pumpkin spice everything and the weather starts to get colder. When Autumn comes, it’s time to start prepping your car for winter. Prepping for winter is something that is usually quite neglected by most car owners, as many people think it to be unnecessary. Quite the contrary, actually, as cars act dramatically different in the winter and precautions must be taken so that your vehicle is as safe and as functional as possible. So with winter on its way, we should take a look at some of the things car owners should do to prep their vehicles for winter.
Antifreeze Check
Antifreeze must be topped off before winter, but more importantly it must be a 50:50 antifreeze to water. If there’s more than 50 percent water in the coolant, it’s possible that it can freeze in extreme conditions, causing big problems. If you own a BMW you can get coolant straight from BMW, but it must be mixed with water in the coolant tank. So make a 50:50 solution, using distilled water, and make sure your coolant tank is full.
Wipers and Wiper Fluid
When driving in the winter, it’s likely you will be driving through snow showers. When those times come, you’re going to want good wiper blades in good condition or your visibility will be incredibly compromised. Plus, as the snow starts to hit the windshield it’s possible that it can freeze, causing layers of ice to build up making visibility nearly impossible.
Wiper fluid is just as important. Good de-icer wiper fluid is a must in the winter, as it will help to insure that your windshield won’t ice up and allow you to see. It also makes mornings with just a bit of ice on the windshield quite a bit easier. Plus, de-icer fluid is incredibly cheap so there’s no reason as to why you shouldn’t use it.
Battery
A good better is necessary for winter, especially in harsh climates. An old battery can fail to start the car in sub-zero temperatures. Trust me, I know. And getting stuck in the cold with a car that won’t start, meaning no heat, can be wildly uncomfortable and even dangerous. So have your battery checked and make sure its good enough to work in extremely cold temperatures.
Tires
This is by far and away the most important winter check. Ordinary tires can lose their functionality once the temperatures start to drop. In fact, once temperatures start to drop under 45 degrees, all-season tires start to lose their functionality. All-seasons aren’t absolutely terrible in the winter, but they aren’t great either. Summer tires are about as helpful as wearing sandals in the snow and winter, so they’re out of the question. Winter tires are almost necessary in harsh climates, as snow can be devastating to anything otherwise. Especially on BMWs, which are usually rear-wheel drive, winter tires can make a world of a difference and save lives. It’s not always cheap or easy to have winter tires on your car, but it’s a must.
These are just a few of the necessary winter checks that must be done before December in bad-weather areas. Winter can be deadly to those who aren’t prepared and it doesn’t take much to prepare for it. There’s really no other excuse except for ignorance, but after this article ignorance is no longer an excuse.
