Winter and your car

If you own a car and do not have access to mass transit, your least favorite time of year is approaching : Winter! I get chills just typing the word. I have a few suggestions on how to make winter and your car work together.

1) When winter roads start to become hazardous, release some of the air in your tires. A slightly flatter tire provides a little bit more contact with the road. I recommend setting the pressure at slightly above half of the maximum recommended pressure for that tire. That information is found on the outside of each tire. In very small letters.

2) When is the last time you replaced your wiper blades? If you can't remember, it's time to replace them.

3) Check the fluid level in your windshield washer fluid reservoir. Make sure it is full.

4) Check the fluid level of anti-freeze in your overflow reservoir. Make sure it is full to it's capacity. If you haven't changed your anti-freeze in over three years, it's time for a fluid change.

5) Keep a flashlight in your glove compartment and check the batteries every three months.

6) Keep a warm blanket, raincoat and two gallons of distilled water in your trunk if possible. It's better to be prepared for an emergency than to try and improvise during one.

7) Have you ever changed a flat tire on your vehicle? Do you know if you have a working jack? A tire iron to remove a wheel? Does your spare (if any) have air in it? If it does, set the pressure to what I suggested in tip # 1.

8) Flares, reflective HAZARD signs and a small emergency medical kit are all great to have in your trunk just in case.

9) If you have a cell phone, keep a cell phone car charger in your glove compartment.

10) For better night vision during storms or rural driving, change your head light lamp bulbs to the brightest halogen bulbs allowed for your vehicle. Your local auto parts store clerk can help provide this information and if you ask him or her nicely, they just might install them for you.

11) How old is the battery in your car? Most batteries have a five year life span. Cold temperatures can quickly drain a battery's cranking power. If the five year mark is approaching, consider replacing your battery. On most newer foreign cars, a dead or dying battery will most often harm your alternator causing it to fail as well. Another good reason to replace your battery.

12) Try to keep your gas tank full as much as possible. There are many reasons to do this. First, since a property of gasoline is to easily vaporize, keeping your tank full reduces the amount of air space available for your gas to vaporize into. The gas in your tank will last longer this way. Second, every gallon of gasoline in your tank adds weight over you car's rear wheels. If you have a rear wheel drive vehicle, this helps provide your car with more traction. Third, if a big storm hits and power goes out to a large area, gas stations may close due to lack of power. Having little or no gas in your tank may strand you at home or on the road. And finally, if the power goes out at your home and you have to rely solely on electric for heat, you can always climb into your car, start it up and run the heater to keep warm. I DO NOT recommend you do this if your car is in an enclosed area OR if your car currently has an inadequate muffler.

13) If you know in advance that a snow or ice storm is coming, lift your windshield wipers off of the windshield. This will help you scrape ice or snow off without damaging them.

14) If a snow storm is imminent, park you car at the end of your driveway closest to the street. You will have less snow to shovel out of your way to access the road.

15) Slow down. Be safe, Ray.