Winter, or what we in southern California consider winter, is here, and it’s time to make sure that your vehicle is ready for whatever mother nature dishes out this year. Here are a few tips to ensure your vehicle will get you where you need to go as safely as possible.
Consider too that older or high mileage vehicles should get more attention in preparation for winter driving. Attention to these things now, when the weather is good, will save you money and frustration later.
• On wet roads be sure to slow down and increase the distance between you and the cars in front of you. Visibility decreases greatly in rain and so should your speed.
• Check your vehicle’s tires, including the spare, for proper air pressure and sufficient tread. On the side of the driver’s door, there should be a recommended manufacturer air pressure printout. This information can also be found in the car owner’s manual. With a ten-degree drop in temperature, tires can loose up to one pound of air. Make sure tire treads are wearing even and there is a good amount of tread on the tires. The grooves in the tire tread should not be worn down to the wear bars (those ridges of rubber that run perpendicular in the tire grooves). If they are the tires should be replaced.
• Check your wiper blades and change them if they’re worn. Don’t forget to also check your windshield washer fluid reservoir. It should be filled with proper fluid, not water, so you can wash away the dirt and mud that can get kicked up on your windshield and impair visibility.
• Check your car’s battery for corrosion, damage or worn cables. A mixture of baking soda and water poured over the terminals can help to loose and remove any corrosion that might be starting.
• Make sure that all your lights are in proper working order, including your emergency flashers. Also remember that any time you have your wipers on you must also have your headlights on. The law states that drivers of all motor vehicles, except motorcycles, must turn on their headlights when they use their windshield wipers in rain, mist, snow, fog or other precipitation. Headlights must also be turned on when drivers cannot clearly see a person or vehicle 1,000 feet away.