Be Prepared

No matter how new or well maintained a vehicle is, things can still go wrong without any warning, especially in cold weather. Even if you have roadside assistance, winter time means more of accidents, and more break downs than other times of the year. No matter how good your roadside assistance service is, there are only so many tow trucks and service vehicles available. If there are three or four calls ahead of yours, it could take hours before help shows up. It pays to be prepared for the worst, because you never know when something's going to go wrong, or if someone else will need your help out on the road.

• Use items like a battery warmer, a heated dipstick, a magnetic engine heater, a lower radiator hose heater, and battery charger on your car, truck or SUV when you're at home to keep your car's engine warm and ready to start, and your battery warm and fully charged at all times.
• Keep the gas tank as full as you can to prevent the gas lines from freezing. 1/2 full in the lowest you should let it get in winter.
• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged before leaving the house.
• ICE (In Case of Emergency).  In your cell phone, program who your emergency contact is in case you have an accident and you are unconscious. The paramedic will go through your cell phone and look for your ICE contact. Example: ICE - Joe Smith 555-0111. It’s a good idea to program a couple of ICE contacts into your phone.
• Don't rely on being able to call for help on your cell phone. While cell phone coverage has gotten better over the years, there are still plenty of areas where you may not have service, especially in rural areas.

How to Winterize Your Car

Is Your Vehicle Winter Ready?
Get your vehicle winter ready before the cold weather hits. Don’t wait for winter to check your battery, belts, hoses, radiator, oil, lights, brakes, tires, exhaust system, heater, defroster, wipers, and ignition system. To help you make it safely through winter, here are some suggestions to make sure that you and your vehicle are prepared.


Under The Hood

Change your oil.
Change your oil while the temperature is still above freezing, even if you haven't reached the mileage limit since your last oil change. The older your oil is, the thicker it gets, and the faster the additives break down. This can put an additional drain on your battery and make it harder to start your car in cold weather.

Tune up your engine
Now is the time for a complete tune up to ensure better gas mileage, quicker starts and faster response... and less chance of breaking down on the side of the road. Check your engine's spark plugs and replace them if they look worn or discolored. Inspect your spark plug wires for cracks, burn spots, wear spots, hard areas, and discoloration. If any of these conditions exist, replace the plug wires with a new set.  Replace you distributor cap, air filter, fuel filter, emission filters, and the PCV valve.
TIP: At night, start your car and open your hood. If your vehicle has a light under the hood, remove it. With the engine running, look for any visible sparks or glowing areas around your wires in the darkness. If you see any, it's time to replace your spark plug wires no matter how good they look.

Check your battery.
Cold temperatures can reduce a vehicle's battery power by up to 50 percent. Make sure your battery’s posts and connections are corrosion-free. If your battery is more than three years old, have a certified repair shop test its ability to hold a charge. This is a good time to make sure your alternator is charging at it's full capacity as well.

What to look for when replacing a car’s battery:
First off, check the owner’s manual for information about the proper size and design for your vehicle. If you don't have your owner's manual, the store you buy your battery from should have a book or computer program where they can look up the correct battery for the year, make and model of you particular vehicle.

Date Codes;
There's a manufacturer's shipping code on almost every automobile battery. Since the life you'll get from the battery is dependent on when it was made, not necessarily when it was put into service, you'll want to check this code so you can be sure the battery you buy is relatively "fresh" and hasn't been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. The shipping code usually appears on a sticker on the battery or a stamp burned into the battery case itself.  Because batteries lose their ability to hold a charge over time, even while the battery is sitting on a store’s shelves, be sure to find the battery’s shipping code and choose one that is no more than 6 months old. If you’re unsure about where the shipping code is located, ask a store employee to assist you. It's your money, and you have the right to know how old the battery is that you're buying.

Cold Cranking Amps and Cranking Amps;
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) is a measure of a battery's ability to start a car in cold weather, when thickened engine oil and slowed chemical reactions make starting hardest. CCAs denote how much current the battery can deliver to the starter at 0° F. Don't confuse CCA with Cranking Amps (CA), which is a measure taken at 32° instead of 0° and is typically much higher than the CCA rating.

Reserve Capacity;
Reserve Capacity (RC) is probably one of the most important, and least understood aspects of buying a battery. A battery's RC indicates how many minutes your car might run using the battery alone, should the car's alternator fail.   (RC), also referred to as reserve capacity minutes (RCM), is a battery's ability to sustain a minimum stated electrical load; it is defined as the time (in minutes) that a lead-acid battery at 80 °F (27 °C) will continuously deliver 25 amperes before its voltage drops below 10.5 volts. What all this means is that a battery with a higher RC will crank longer than a battery with a lower RC. The RC isn't necessarily included on the battery, so you may have to check product literature rather than the battery's labeling to find the reserve capacity.

Check your belts and hoses.
Cold weather can do a number on belts and hoses, so examine your fan belts or serpentine belt closely. With the engine off, grab the belts and twist them. If you see any cracks or frayed areas, replace them. Check for cracks, bulges, cuts, scrapes, and soft spots on your radiator hoses. Any of these are signs that it's time to replace them. Since both the upper and lower radiator hoses get the same amount of wear, it's a good idea to replace both hoses at the same time.

Top off your windshield washer fluid reservoir, and keep it full.
Winter time is when you use your washer fluid the most. Road spray from other cars and trucks can make your windshield look like you just drove through a mud puddle, so top off that washer fluid every couple of days.

TIP: Don't fill your washer fluid reservoir with anything except washer fluid, it won't freeze! Also, carry an extra gallon of washer fluid in your trunk or storage area of your vehicle just in case. Better safe than sorry.

Flush your radiator.
It's important to change your antifreeze seasonally. While overheating may seem like a summer issue, it can be a serious winter problem as well if the coolant freezes. Even if the coolant isn't frozen in the top of the radiator, it can freeze in the radiator hoses and the engine block, causing the radiator to crack when you start your engine. Even if you live in a climate where you seldom, if ever, see temperatures below freezing, your car's radiator builds solid deposits that can clog the cooling system. A quick, inexpensive radiator flush can keep the system in shape.


Exterior Winterizing

Replace your windshield wiper blades.
Wiper blades usually last for about one year. Replacing your wiper blades before winter storms hit is cheap insurance to make sure you can see through your windshield clearly.

TIP: Use heavy duty winter wiper blades. They will stand up to the ice and snow better than standard blades.

Inspect your tires closely.
Winter is not the time to get cheap about your tires, so take the time to check the tread depth. The National Highway Transportation Safety Board says you need at least 2/32" of depth to be safe. In winter driving conditions, anything less than 4/32" (1/8") should be replaced. Cold weather causes tire pressures to drop, so be sure to check your tire pressure when the temperature drops.

Consider using snow tires.
If your tires are worn, or if they are high-performance tires, braking, acceleration and handling will all suffer on slippery roads. All-season tires will work to a certain point, but their effectiveness depends on their tread depth. Winter tires are optimized for snow and ice. Your car or truck will always perform worse on slick roads than dry ones, but winter tires provide more traction on slick surfaces than all-season tires.

Wash and wax
To help protect your car's paint, now is the time to give your car or truck a thorough cleaning, and a fresh coat of wax to help protect the finish.

Clean those rubber seals
The rubber seals around your doors and windows are notorious for freezing and sticking in the winter. Door seals won't get clean when you wash your car or truck, so before winter hits, open the doors, get some rags and a bucket of soapy water, and wash them thoroughly. Rinse them down afterwards and coat them with some spray silicone lube. Don't use WD 40. It will eat the foam-rubber door seals.

NOTE: Do not spray silicone lube directly on the door-seal or the paint, it will stain your paint. Spray it on a rag or paper towel, then wipe your door seals with the wet (silicone) rag. You can also rub it on the inside of the door where the seal touches the door for extra protection. Don't forget the trunk/hatch and hood seals as well.

Under Your Car or Truck

Inspect your brakes
Brakes are not the place to cut corners. Be sure your brake shoes and pads have enough material on them get you through the season. Many places will do free brake inspections, so take advantage of this service and have your brakes checked before winter weather starts.

Pressure wash the undercarriage
Snow, slush and salt on roadways causes debris to build up on your vehicle's undercarriage. Dirt and grime doesn't stick to clean surfaces as well as dirty ones, so pressure washing the under side of your car or truck before winter hits can help prevent rust from developing.

TIP: Some car washes or auto detail shops offer an undercarriage coating for winter. These coatings usually work well, but not on top of existing dirt and grime. Steam cleaning the undercarriage is a necessity before having this kind of treatment applied.

Behind The Wheel

Check the heater, wipers and windshield defroster.
Now is the time to make sure your vehicle's windshield wipers and defrosters are in working order, not when the windows are frosted over. Now is also a good time to make sure your heating system works.

If you have a four-wheel-drive system, make sure it is working properly.
While newer four wheel drive (4WD) systems requires minimal maintenance, it's still a good idea to check that it works properly before winter arrives. If other family members will be driving the vehicle, make sure they know how to properly engage and disengage the 4WD.



Winter Emergency Kit

Put together a Winter Emergency Kit and store it in a heavy waterproof bag in your trunk or cargo area during the winter months. Not only will this kit help you in an emergency, and maybe save your life or the life of a loved one, the added weight will help improve your vehicle's traction on slippery roads.

What to include in a Winter Emergency Kit:

1. Fully charged cell phone
2. Door lock de-icer
3. Heavy boots and gloves
4. Three-piece fleece set (cap, gloves, and scarf)
5. Emergency Survival Blanket or Emergency Sleeping Bag (1 for each person in the vehicle)
6. Emergency candles (3 min.)
7. Hand warmer packets (2 min.)
8. Emergency Rain Poncho
9. 8 Hour Lightstick
10. Emergency clothing for each family member* (see details below)
11. Multi-tool Knife
12. 50 feet of rope
13. Snow brush
14. Ice scraper
15. Small shovel or folding shovel
16. Flashlight with new batteries and spare batteries
17. One gallon of windshield washer fluid
18. Spare set of windshield wipers
19. Spare upper and lower radiator hose with clamps.
20. Flares (2 min.)
21. Reflective triangles (3)
22. Jumper cables
23. Fully charged portable jump starter**
24. Tow chain or nylon tow strap
25. Tire chains
26. Tire gauge
27. Properly inflated spare tire and lug wrench
28. Working car jack
29. 4 2X4 pieces of wood, 2-3 feet long (for placing under the jack if you're not on a concrete or asphalt surface)
30. Thick rubber mat (for kneeling on if you have to change a flat)
31. First-aid kit
32. Roll of paper towels
33. Tool kit that includes wrenches, a ratchet, sockets, pliers, a phillips and flat head screwdriver, and three adjustable wrenches (small, medium and large)
34. Bag of salt or non-clumping kitty litter for traction if a tire gets stuck in snow
35. Bottle of isopropyl alcohol (This stuff will melt ice, and is available at any pharmacy or drug store. NOTE: Don't use rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is mostly water and can freeze)
36. Water for drinking if you're stranded, or washing up after repairs are made
37. Non-perishable, high-energy foods like a high calorie food bar, unsalted canned nuts, dried fruits, and hard candy.

TIP: Keep some old newspapers in the trunk during winter. Newspaper can be used to kneel on when you're changing a tire on ice or snow, and it's also a good insulator in times of emergencies. Putting crumpled up newspaper inside your jacket traps air in the paper fibers and can help keep you warm.

*Emergency clothing should be chosen to cover your body in layers to help stay warm and should include two pair of thick, knee high socks, a set of top and bottom thermals (long johns), denim pants (large enough to put on over the thermals), a long sleeve flannel shirt, a heavy winter coat, and a pair of insulated work boots. Even if you're the only one that's going to be outside working on your vehicle, your loved ones need to stay warm while they're waiting.

**A portable jump starter is not a battery charger.  A jump starter is a 'portable battery' you plug in at home to charge, then put in your vehicle when you leave. The jump starter has two battery cables that you attach to your car or truck battery to jump start your engine.

Performance tires lose traction quickly on snow and ice.

Front wheel drive doesn't mean you won't get stuck.

Even a few inches of snow is enough to stop many cars.

Just because your vehicle is four wheel drive doesn't mean it can't get stuck in the snow, even with all season M+S tires.

Know how to install your chains before you need to. Carrying snow chains won't do you any good if you don't know how to install them before you get stuck in the snow.

Know what to do if you get stranded.

If you get stranded, and you have help on the way, there's still some things you need to do:

1. On a two way road, place 2 of the reflective triangles about 20 feet and 30 feet behind your vehicle, and one 20 feet in front of your vehicle .  Light two flares* and place each one an additional 5 feet in front and behind the triangles for added safety.
2. Place all 3 reflective triangles 20, 30 and 40 feet behind your vehicle on a divided highway. Light one flare* and place it an additional 5 feet behind the triangles for added safety.
3. Put on the extra clothes from your Winter Emergency Kit and use the emergency blanket to stay warm.
4. If you have enough gas in the tank, make sure the car's exhaust pipe is not blocked and run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes for each hour you’re waiting for help.
5. Leave at least one window open a little bit so that snow and ice don’t seal the car shut.
6. Suck on a piece of hard candy to keep your mouth moist.
7. Don’t wander away from your car unless you’re completely sure about where you are and how far away help is.

*Triangles only work when an oncoming vehicle's headlights hit them. Other driver's visibility is decreased during the winter, especially if it's snowing, and their headlights may be too dirty for their headlights to light up the triangle until they are too close to you to safely avoid your vehicle. Flares create their own light and are extremely bright, ensuring other motorists see you in plenty of time to slow down and avoid your vehicle.

TIP: If you are alone and broken down on the side of the road you should sit in the passenger seat. It gives the appearance to a potential “bad” person that someone has gone to get help for you. You might also want to put your cell phone up to your ear so it looks like you are talking to someone.

Winter Driving Tips

Turn off the cruise control:
You should never use your cruise control on wet, snowy or icy pavement. If your car skids or hydroplanes, or you hit a patch of ice, the cruise control will cause your car to accelerate, reducing your reaction time and the ability to control your vehicle.

Be seen by other drivers:
Whenever visibility is poor, turn on the vehicle’s full lighting system.  It is critical for drivers to see and be seen in low light conditions, when it's snowing, and when there is blowing snow. All of these conditions will impair visibility. Just because you can see other vehicles clearly, don't assume they can see you as clearly. They may not have been as smart as you and changed their windshield wipers or topped off their windshield washer fluid before winter hit.

Increase your following distance:
It takes longer to stop on a slippery road. It’s important to leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle ahead. A guide to safe spacing under normal driving conditions is the two-second rule.

Four-second rule:

1. Pick a marker on the road ahead, such as a road sign or telephone pole.
2. When the rear of the vehicle ahead passes the marker, count "one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three, one thousand and four ".
3. When the front of your vehicle reaches the marker, stop counting.

If you reach the marker before you count “one thousand and four,” you are following too closely. If the road is covered in snow or visibility is poor, increase your following distance to six seconds.

Snow Covered Roads:
Snow on a road may be smooth and soft, rutted and full of hard tracks and gullies, or hard-packed and as slippery as ice. Unfortunately, you won't know what the surface of a snow covered road is like until you're on it. Road conditions can even change as you're driving, so stay alert at all times and be prepared for a change in road conditions at any second.

Ice:
Never intentionally drive on any ice covered surface. There is not a tire made that can get traction on ice. Even the monster sized off road tires some people put on huge 4X4 trucks can't get traction on ice. Steering and stopping on ice is impossible. If your vehicle starts to slide on ice, there is nothing you can do but hang on and wait until your vehicle slides onto a surface that isn't covered in ice... or until it hits something.

Black Ice:
Black ice is almost impossible to see, especially at night. It looks just like a clean, wet stretch of highway, and it can be a killer. Be careful when approaching shaded areas, bridges, and overpasses, as these sections of road freeze much sooner in cold weather and stay frozen long after the sun has risen. Watch out for frosty looking areas of the road or areas that appear black and shiny, as these areas may be covered in ice and can cause your vehicle to suddenly lose traction. Slow down, keep your foot off the brake, and be ready to shift to neutral or step on the clutch as your vehicle crosses these areas.

Snow and Slush Spray:
Always drive defensively and leave enough space to avoid spray from other vehicles. On wet, slushy, or snow covered roads, large trucks and buses can blow huge amounts of moisture and slush onto your windshield, leading to a sudden loss of visibility. Also remember that busses and 18 wheelers require more time to stop, and they can skid just like a car can on slippery roads. If you're passing a bus or 18 wheeler on a wet, slushy, or snow covered road, leave plenty of space before you pull into the lane in front of them. If you cut them off and they have to hit their brakes and start sliding, they'll slam into the closest thing in their way, which will be your car. Wet snow and slush can also build up in the wheel wells of your vehicle, making it difficult or even impossible for you to turn the steering wheel.


Play it Safe!

While the photographs are staged when visibility was clear enough for the pictures to be be seen clearly, real world situations aren't staged, and visibility may not be as clear. It only takes a second for something to go wrong, and then it's usually too late.

In severe winter weather, stay off the road unless your trip is absolutely necessary. If you do have to drive, look as far ahead as you can when driving so you can recognize hazards and have plenty of time to respond. Adjust your speed to the road and weather conditions. Slow down and avoid sudden turns of the steering wheel. Also avoid sudden braking and accelerating, which could cause your car to slide uncontrollably.

Severe winter driving conditions may make you or other drivers nervous, uncomfortable, or fearful. It's not only your knowledge and driving abilities that you have to consider, but the knowledge and driving abilities (or lack thereof) of every other driver on the road with you.

Proper preparation and the right skills can help you face the challenge of winter driving.