Different parts of your car can be hurt by the cold. We’ll tell you here how to protect car from cold weather so that it doesn’t break down or need expensive repairs. During the winter, the car is exposed to cold weather, especially if it sleeps outside, which can lead to serious problems. Here are 10 easy ways to keep your car from getting too cold when it’s stopped.
Temperatures below 10 degrees can already do irreparable damage to a car, but just being out in the winter cold can damage things like locks, windshield wipers, “wipe” fluid, and, of course, the drums. But you can keep your car away from getting damaged by the cold if you follow these simple tips from Alquiber Quality.
1. Cover the car with a tarpaulin
It’s best to always “sleep” your car in the garage, since it will be less likely to be damaged by the harsh winter weather. But if you can’t get it, the best thing to do is cover the car with a tarp. This keeps sensitive parts like the windshield wipers from directly freezing. It is also protected from any hailstorms that might happen.
There are tarps for each model of car and others that go by size and have rubber bands at the bottom to make sure they fit the car well. If you can’t or don’t want to use whole canvases, you should at least use smaller fabrics so that the windshield doesn’t freeze. This way, we won’t scratch the ice that has formed on it over night.
2. Caring for the windshield wiper
When a car is left out in the cold, one of the parts that gets broken is the windshield wipers. This is because the windshield can freeze. When this happens, the “clean” rubbers get hard and stick to the frozen glass. Trying to pull them apart can cause serious damage to both. So, if we are in a place where it frosts or snows often, we should either lift them or put a cork between them and the glass.
In these situations, it’s also important not to fill the windshield washer fluid reservoir with just water, because it will freeze quickly and stop working normally or even break the circuit. There are antifreeze ingredients in some liquids that work very well.
3. Keep an eye on the coolant
Checking the coolant level isn’t enough to protect the car from the cold. You must also look at its condition. As time goes on and we use it, it loses properties that protect our engine from bad weather. Most antifreeze liquids have bright colors, but if we see that it’s already getting clear or has turned black, that means it’s about to go bad, so we need to change it as soon as possible.
This substance won’t freeze at temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero, but if a lot of dirt has built up, this number goes down a lot, leaving our engine more vulnerable. Because of this, it is best to change it and clean the whole circuit at least once every five years.
4. How to protect the battery from the cold
The battery is one of the parts that is hurt the most by low temperatures and is already damaged by them. And the truth is that other than making sure it is in good shape, there is no good way to protect it. The battery is good for about 4 years, but it needs to be replaced as soon as it starts to show signs of wear, since a cold night is all it takes for it to stop working and stop the car from starting when we need it to.
5. Slow down with frozen locks
In very cold places, we often can’t get into our cars because the locks or the system that opens the doors has frozen. In that case, we don’t have to use force because we can just break it into pieces. If you have access to electricity, the best thing to use is a dryer. Sprays that keep frostbite from happening are also sold.
6. Always start at idle
If your car was out in the cold all night, you shouldn’t drive it as soon as you start the engine. If the oil, steering fluid, or brake fluid is too cold, it could damage the car’s circuits and other important parts.
Because of this, it is best to always let the car idle for a few minutes so that the engine can warm up slowly. Never speed up from a stop to speed up the process. If we have to scrape the ice off the windshield, we can start the engine earlier and let it warm up slowly. We can also direct the air toward the glass, which will help the ice melt faster.
7. Check that your tires are in good shape
If you live where it snows or freezes in the winter, you might want to think about getting winter tires. Winter tires can give you better grip, so you don’t lose control of your car in snow or ice. If you want to use the same tires all year, it’s important to keep an eye on the pressure. The temperature can cause the tire pressure to go down. This is because when it’s cold, the air inside the tire condenses, making it smaller. Low tire pressure can cause tires to wear out faster, make it take longer to stop, and waste gas.
8. Create a Survival Kit
Anyone can find themselves in a tough spot. The important thing is that you have a “survival kit” in your car with everything you might need if something goes wrong. You can put things like blankets, a flashlight, batteries, an ice scraper, water in a bottle, snacks, a first-aid kit, and road flares in your survival kit.
9. Remember Your Interior
When the temperature drops below freezing, it’s easy to forget about the inside of your car. But the inside of your car is just as important as the outside. Extra dirt and water can get stuck inside and cause stains that won’t come out or even mold to grow. Express mat cleaners, which you can get for free at Caliber, can make your mats look clean and new in just a few seconds. Caliber also gives free vacuums and detailing air with all wash packages to help you get dirt out of hard-to-reach places.
10. Keep Up with Regularly Scheduled Maintenance
This is one of the easiest and most important things you can do on how to protect your car from cold weather. If you skip your regular oil change and check-up, you could end up with a big bill. You’ve probably already spent a lot of money on your car, so it’s important to keep it in good shape. Routine checks make your car last longer and save you money on repairs in the future. This will also keep your car in good shape and make it safer to drive in the winter.
With these simple tips, we can keep our cars warm in the winter when they are parked. However, it never hurts to carry an emergency kit with a windshield scraper, a de-icing product to use in case of extreme need, gloves, a blanket, an oil can, and extra fuel.