Winter’s Here. What You NEED to Know

So it snowed this weekend and that means temperatures are low enough that they can cause problems in your cars if you don’t adequately prepare. So let’s remind everyone one more time what you MUST do to your car before the winter.

Although some may not consider this a “Must” we do - Winter Tires! Get them on your car, they might just save your life this year. They don’t cost you more in the long run since they extend your other sets life too. So really you’re just investing in safer driving. In Quebec it’s the law, and as far as we are concerned in Ontario they should be too.

Check your coolant. Unless you have the device, you need to come in and have us check it’s winter temperature freezing point. If you have ever had to add water or diluted it too much it may no longer be able to withstand the cold and this means it can freeze and severely damage your engine.

Check your brakes. This is the last thing you want to go on you in the winter

Change your oil. Your car works extra hard in the winter, so make sure it’s got the right oil for the winter.

To prevent your doors and locks from freezing, spray some silicone lubricant on the rubber seals and inside the locks. Don’t use Vaseline. There’s a reason they make KY jelly… Vaseline is petroleum based and will damage rubber seals. And never use WD40 in your locks, this is the worst thing that you can do. WD40 will only make your locks stick worse. Ask any locksmith if you don’t believe us.

Pack that roadside safety emergency kit. You just never know when you might need it.

Get a good snow brush and mittens. You never want to sacrifice your visibility and we all know it sucks scraping off that ice, so having warm mittens won’t make it as bad.

Check those head lights and tail lights. Make sure they work as it gets dark early and you want to make sure other drivers can see you.

Turn on those lights. With DST and it being dark so early when you leave work you may forget to turn on your headlights, something you might not normally be used to doing.

Leave the animals at home. It may seem like the cold isn’t as bad for your pet as the hot summer, but the truth is that all animals are domesticated and they should never be exposed to the hot or the cold.

Watch the idling. Your car warms up faster when it’s driving. Not only is idling bad for the environment, but your car doesn’t need it. Your car in the winter needs only 30 seconds to warm up, it’s us that tend to want it warmer, so just get in and drive. The idling can quickly add up and kill your fuel efficiency and take a few trees with it.

Top up that washer fluid! You don’t want to be low on this stuff when you are driving behind that plow.

Properly start your car! Notice when you put your key in you can turn it most of the way without starting your car and hear it “ding” a few times? Well you should always let it “ding” a few times before starting, especially in the winter. This lets all the pumps and motors get going before you actually tell the car to start.

Turn off the radio and heater before you turn your car off. This will make it a lot easier to start your car with less things running next time that you get in

Last but not least, get that battery checked. Most cars don’t start in the winter because of their batteries, and it can really suck to be stuck out in the cold. Batteries need replacing every 5-10 years, so get yours checked before the winter comes full steam

Hope everyone’s listening. These are all best practices, and if you use them wisely you will be warm and safe all winter long. We love it when we can help you be proactive because we are mechanics that care. We hope to earn your business the next time your car needs service or repair, or maybe just looking for a good mechanic in London Ontario. Come to Top Gear Imports Parts and Service next time you need some help. We are always happy to help. As always, drive safe!