Taking care of your car in the cold
Upper Michigan is in the grip of a very cold weather patten, and naturally, we know to bundle up to stay warm.
But, it is important to get your vehicle ready for the cold weather because your vehicle needs some extra attention during the extreme cold of winter.
Cold weather can have adverse effects on many of the systems in your car.
One of the first parts to be affected by the cold is the battery.
“When the cold weather comes, the colder it is, the less power a given battery has available,” Fox Negaunee GM Store Technician Doug Young said. “As batteries age, naturally they lose some of their original power, and if it gets down to some point where you get a cold day or a cold stretch, it may not have enough to get your car going.”
Keeping your gas tank at least a quarter full and occasionally adding a gas-line, anti-freeze, and water remover can prevent gas lines from freezing.
It is also important to make sure tires are properly inflated.
“The colder it is, that lessens the pressure in each tire. So you need to make sure there’s sufficient pressure for what your car recommends,” Young said. “If the tires are too low, well, then they’re going to have a problem with extra wear, and handling will be a problem, too.”
Regularly checking your vehicle’s fluids is essential.
Staying up to date on normal maintenance will help to keep you on the road throughout the coldest months of the year.