Prepare Your Car for Winter
When you hear the phrase "Winter is Coming," the first thing that might come to mind is that of a hit TV series. However, if you reside in an area in which snow is frequent during the winter months, that term takes on a whole new meaning. Like any other physical investment, you want to make sure that your car is protected the best way possible. Protecting your vehicle during the winter with WeatherTech is an excellent step in the right direction.
Depending on where you live, preparing the interior of your car for snow, ice and salt is one of the most crucial things you can do. A quick interior detail before the weather gets too cold will help keep plastic and vinyl from drying out. Focusing on the areas that are going to receive a lot of traffic, like footwells, the steering wheel and dashboard, will prevent future damage to the interior of your vehicle. One way to accomplish this is by adding WeatherTech FloorLiners and Cargo Liner to your car’s interior protection during winter. Both WeatherTech products will keep your car’s carpet from absorbing all the road grime, salt and water associated with colder weather.
Salt at its core is a corrosive. When put together with chemical compounds to help melt away ice, road salt is even more corrosive and detrimental to the underside of your vehicle. With the use of WeatherTech MudFlaps, salt and snow can be diverted away from being kicked up under the rocker panels, known as the panels under your passenger doors. This is one of the most common areas for salt to sit and break down the metal chassis of your vehicle, causing rust and holes to form over time if left untreated.
Tips on maintaining your ride this winter
Before the weather starts to turn, it’s in your best interest to run through all of the fluids in your vehicle to ensure they are fresh and topped off. Performing regularly scheduled maintenance on your vehicle will help you be prepared, regardless of the season. Ensuring that windshield wiper fluid, coolant/antifreeze and gas are regularly topped off during the winter months is critical to staying safe on the road. Also keeping your wipers clean, free of debris and unfrozen in the winter helps with visibility on the road, as well as keeping you safe as the driver. Prepare your car’s windshield wipers before a big snowfall by propping them up. Another great tip for winter prep: if you haven’t already done so, change out your wipers to keep your windshield clear of ice and snow while driving this winter.
Similar to checking on your gas and windshield wiper fluid regularly during the winter months, making sure your battery is holding a charge and functioning correctly is important as well. If you’re unsure of how old your battery is, or you’re driving an older vehicle this winter season, it’s best to get your battery checked out before the weather gets really cold.
Consider adding tire rotation to the seasonal maintenance of your vehicle. Specialized tires for summer and winter driving can help you stay safe, as well as provide better handling depending on seasonal road hazards. In addition to swapping out those summer tires for winter, when was the last time your brakes were checked? If checking or changing your brakes isn’t already top of your regular car maintenance list, add it as a part of your winter vehicle prep.
Living in an area such as Chicago where it can be 60 degrees one day and snow the next during the winter season, it is a smart choice to take advantage of that warmer weather and clean off your FloorLiners or All-Weather Mats with our TechCare Cleaner/Protector Kit. This helps not only to keep your interior clean, but also removes all of the imbedded salt and grime on the mats. One of the best things you can do for your vehicle is to rinse off as much of the corrosion from salt as possible. This not only cleans your vehicle on the surface level, keeping the paint and clear coat in good shape, but also cleans the underside of the vehicle when you choose the undercarriage option at the car wash.