Every car is made of an intricate system of interlocking parts, each vitally important in its own way.
Extreme cold weather – like the temperatures facing State College in the coming week – can take its toll on everything from a car’s tires to its engine. If even one part on your vehicle stops working, the whole car can come to a grinding halt.
Jimmy Simco, a technician with the Traditional Automobiles garage, says there’s good news, though: if you’ve diligently kept up with your routine maintenance, your car can probably weather the winter. If you haven’t, then he says it’s better late than never.
Simco says the process of “winterizing” car consists mostly of preventative maintenance that every vehicle owner should routinely perform regardless of the weather. One of the most basic steps to take to keep your car running through the winter is to make sure your oil is changed.
“If the oil in the car is dirty and thick, then the engine has to work twice as hard,” Simco says. “That can put a big draw on the car battery.”
Chelsea Pompeani, public relations director with the American Automobile Association of East Central Pennsylvania, says her organization responds to more calls about dead car batteries than anything else during the winter.
She says that it’s important to check your car battery for corrosion and deterioration. In addition, car batteries should be changed every few years, so Pompeani advises all drivers to make sure their batteries are up to date to prevent winter headaches.
“If you can avoid it, don’t keep your car running for long periods of time,” Pompeani says. “A lot of people like to warm up their car in the morning, but that actually drains your battery and your fuel.”
Simco says extreme cold weather can also impact your car’s rubber components. The cold can cause hoses and engine belts to become brittle, increasing the chances the rubber will snap. Simco advises drivers to pop the hood and check for signs of wear and tear on those key components.
Pompeani adds that cold weather can decrease your tire pressure and lead to less traction on roads that are often already slippery from snow or ice. Making sure your tires are inflated to the level specified in the owner’s manual (or, often, the driver’s side doorjamb) will help keep you safe. She also recommends keeping a spare tire in your car, which should also be maintained at the proper pressure level.
Maintaining the proper level of your car’s other various fluids – antifreeze, coolant, power steering fluid, even de-icing windshield wiper fluid – is also important to making sure your car makes it through the winter without incident, Simco says.
Pompeani says there also a handful of essentials to keep in your car throughout the months of cold and snow: an ice scraper, a first aid kit, bags of salt or kitty litter (for gaining traction on patches of snow and ice), a cell phone charger and jumper cables should all be part of your winter emergency kit.
Though the chances of actually getting stranded in your car are pretty low, Pompeani also recommends keeping blankets and nonperishable food and water for emergencies.
“But if the weather is bad and you don’t need to be driving, then stay home,” Pompeani says. “That’s really the number one thing.”
For other tips on how to weather the State College winter, check out StateCollege.com’s cold weather advice page.
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