Chicago winters can be brutal, and if you’re a new resident of the Chicagoland area you may be asking yourself “how to prepare my car for winter?” No matter what cold weather Mother Nature hands us during the coming months, a few relatively easy steps can help both you and your car survive the coming winter months.
- Mind your tires.
Check your owner’s manual to find the manufacturer’s recommendations on proper tire pressure, and check your tire pressure regularly to make sure they’re properly inflated. Having the right tire pressure helps maintain the stopping distance of your vehicle, crucial when the roads are coated with ice and snow. And for good measure, properly inflated tires also help with fuel consumption, giving you more miles per gallon.
Beyond the right tire pressure, if you live in a relatively hilly area outside Chicago, you might also consider getting snow tires for extra gripping power to help you deal with winter conditions.
- Get new wiper blades.
Icy conditions combined with poor visibility are responsible for many of the wrecks that occur in the Chicago area during winter. To maintain your visibility when you’re behind the wheel, get a new set of wiper blades before the worst of winter weather sets in. Windshield wipers are relatively inexpensive and well worth the cost to keep you, your passengers, and other motorists and pedestrians safe during dark, gloomy winter weather.
- Check your car’s most important fluids.
The most important fluids needed to get you through the winter are the coolant (antifreeze), engine oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid (for automatic transmissions), power steering fluid, and windshield washer fluid. For the latter, make sure the fluid you’re using is properly formulated for winter weather. If not, it may well freeze sitting in the fluid tank.
- Check your brakes.
It’s obvious that it’s crucial to have a good set of brakes, especially during winter when icy roads make driving conditions much more challenging than at other times of the year. Take your vehicle to your favorite garage and have the professionals there carefully check your brakes.
- Check the battery.
The last thing you want is to be stranded somewhere with a vehicle that won’t start because of a dead battery. In winter, that’s more than inconvenient, it’s potentially life threatening. Most car batteries are good for about three to four years, and if yours is nearing the end of its safe lifetime, you probably should replace it before the worst of winter sets in. At the very least, have your mechanic check your battery to make sure it doesn’t have any dead cells.
New Cats Auto Parts – The Best Selection of Used Auto Parts in Chicago
We hope you find these suggestions helpful in getting you through the coming winter. We also hope that when you need auto parts, you’ll come to see us at New Cats Auto Parts.
No one has a better selection of used parts for both domestic and foreign models than we have. For good measure, we also buy junk cars and trucks. We’ll pay you cash and even haul it away for you.
So, whatever you need – finding a great selection of used parts or getting rid of a rusting junker – give us a call at New Cats Auto Parts and let’s make a deal!