Car Care Winter Tips for New Englanders

Winter in New England gets bitterly cold, dropping below 32 degrees Fahrenheit on most days. The problem is that the frigid temperatures and harsh winter conditions can wreak havoc on your car. This leads to performance issues and premature wear and tear and can cause costly and life-threatening accidents. This is why it is important to understand Car Care Winter Tips for New Englanders.

It’s essential to take proactive measures to minimize the adverse effects of winter weather on your vehicle. That’s what Northeast-MetroWest Insurance Agency is here to bring you.

Keep reading to discover tips for keeping your car in tip-top shape during winter.

6 Tips to Maintain Your Car in Winter

Tip #1: Check your battery’s health

Your car’s battery is the significant component affected by winter weather. The onset of extreme temperatures drains its power. However, car batteries could die in severe cases.

The best approach is to check your battery’s health by performing a volt test. If the car fails to start, give it a couple of minutes to heat up before retrying. Using jumper cables can revive a dead battery, but if it still doesn’t work, consider getting a new one. 

Tip #2: Make sure your wiper blades are functional

When winter weather hits, it’s vital to ensure your car’s wiper blades are in good condition. Wipers are meant to clear your windshield of debris and moisture so you can see clearly. If your wiper blades no longer work as intended in the rain, they will only do good during winter.

To help keep your wipers functioning correctly, replace them regularly and check their alignment with the windshield.

Tip#3: Avoid idling as much as possible

When you leave your car running and unattended, it can quickly drain your battery and lead to other problems like engine wear and damage. To avoid these issues, limit your time idling in the cold weather.

You may idle for several minutes to get the engine and fluids running when temperatures reach zero degrees. But at most 20 minutes as this activity is stressful to your engine and damaging to the environment.

Tip #4: Check your tires

In cold weather, ensuring that your car’s tires are in good condition is crucial. Car tires lose pressure more quickly in winter, so you’ll need to check them regularly and inflate them as needed to avoid slipping on the road or getting a flat tire.

Additionally, make sure that your treads aren’t too worn out. Car tires with worn-out treads can be dangerous on icy roads, as they won’t be able to grip the road properly.

Tip #5: Keep your tank full

When your gas tank is empty, condensation may occur on the inside surface causing permanent damage. Water droplets that form will sink into the bottom, leading to engine and tank corrosion. The fuel lines may freeze, preventing gasoline from reaching your engine.

Keeping your tank full, or at least half full, is good enough to prevent these from happening.

Tip #6: De-ice frozen locks (the right way!)

If you find your keyhole blocked with ice, try adding a pinch of sanitizer to your key. The alcohol found in sanitizers works wonders in dissolving ice found in locks.

In extreme cases, the entire door is frozen shut to the frame. Prevent your door from shutting again by applying some silicone to the door’s rubber gasket. You may use lukewarm (not hot!) water to thaw the icy rubber gasket and release the seal.

There go our car care winter tips for New Englanders. We hope you found them helpful. If you’re looking for new car insurance, Northeast – MetroWest Insurance Agency can provide Automobile coverage for your vehicle. Click here to quest a quote.