Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Preparing Your Car For Winter

Vehicle maintenance is obviously important year-round, but the winter is the worst possible time to be stranded on the side of the road. It is best to take your vehicle to a mechanic, but if you cannot afford one, there are some simple preventative measures you can take to reduce your chances of experiencing mechanical problems. 



Among the first things you should check under your hood is your anti-freeze levels. My advice is to not procrastinate with this. Ask me how I know!



Next, you will want to check your battery. You will need a voltmeter for this. Check and clean the terminals to ensure they are free of corrosion.



Inspect your exhaust system for leaks. Any leaks will emit carbon monoxide which can leak into the car. Because people rarely have their windows open during the winter, there is less ventilation, and carbon monoxide poisoning can result in death. If you are checking the exhaust system yourself, make sure to use jack stands to support the vehicle properly. It is a much better idea to have a mechanic inspect this system.



Winter tires are of utmost importance. Earlier this month, I posted a few of this year's most popular winter tires. The post can be found here.

A good tip regarding gasoline is to try and maintain a full tank. You never know when or where you may get stuck. I know if I was stuck, I would like to be able to start the car periodically to keep the car warm.

The last tip is to be prepared for being stranded. If your car was stuck in the snow, what would you like to have in the trunk? 

I keep the following items in my car in case of an emergency:
-bottled water
-food (mainly a few energy or chocolate bars)
-a flashlight
-a charger for my iPhone
-a few sweatshirts or an extra jacket
-extra pair of shoes
-the obvious trunk accessories such as a jack, spare tire etc...

Of course, none of this matters if this kid finds your keys....


"I did it cuz it's fun to do bad things"

31 comments:

  1. Thanks for the info, im followin ya

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's cold, but thankfully doesn't snow here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bottled water. I wish. Freezes every night!

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOL that boy thinks life is GTA

    ReplyDelete
  5. >It's cold, but thankfully doesn't snow here.

    Also, I don't even have a car.

    Great advice, though!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good for me i live on tropical weather

    ReplyDelete
  7. Winter in Louisiana is in the upper 80s. I'll be okay.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh man, I would beat the life out of that kid if he did that to me

    ReplyDelete
  9. great info and love the vid of that kid

    ReplyDelete
  10. I live in California lulz so no really bad weather for me, but I still keep some goodies in the trunk in case.

    And that hoodrat kid haha

    ReplyDelete
  11. And it shouldnt be illegal to beat the shit out of this kid.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I actually need to do this. The winter rapes my car for some reason.

    ReplyDelete
  13. it's always fun to do bad things. like murder.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yea right fun to do bad things, i think its fun to do fun things, dont care if they bad or not :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice tips on how to prepare! Ive already done it since the winter came very early here.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Man, I remember when my car used to leak anti-freeze. Brings back bad memories! Great advice!

    ReplyDelete
  17. good advice; coming just at the right time
    'cause the snow will be a-coming here in the midwest, also happy thanksgiving everyone

    ReplyDelete
  18. cool video man ! supportin

    ReplyDelete
  19. Very good safety tips for preparing our cars for the winter. Those extra supplies are a mighty fine idea, never know when you might need them.

    ReplyDelete
  20. hahahaha that kid is hilarious!

    ReplyDelete
  21. good advice, thanks ;) !
    the video is great too...

    by the way, enjoy thanksgiving ;)!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Nice post. Something tells me the winter will get even worse than last year here where I live...

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great advice, i need to get on this!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thats who that Boondocks episode was based on!

    ReplyDelete