Winter Car Maintenance Tips

Now that the days are getting shorter and temperatures are cooling, it’s time to prepare your car for the winter. Especially if you’re planning on hitting the road and visiting family for the holidays, you don’t want to have a break down far from home in the snow. That’s why we’ve put this checklist together of things to do to prepare your car—and yourself—for the challenges of driving in winter.

Check Your Car’s Fluids and Other Basics

Before any road trip, you should check your car’s fluids, brakes, lights, and other vital systems to ensure you don’t break down on route. However, these are even more important to double-check in winter, since breaking down in the cold can be dangerous:

• Fluid levels: Windshield wiper fluid, brake fluid, oil, antifreeze, and others keep your car running smoothly
• Brakes: Maybe the most important safety feature of your car, check them for wear and listen for odd noises or shudders when braking
• Headlights and taillights
• Tires: These should have winter tires or chains if you’re driving on slick winter roads or through snow
• Battery: Batteries don’t work as well in the cold, so make sure yours can reliably start your vehicle so you’re not stranded

You should also check and repair cracks or chips in your windshield, windows, or auto body. These cracks can expand and contract with variations in temperature, leading to wider cracks and eventually rust and other serious problems.

Check the Weather Before You Drive

Don’t just check your local weather report—check the forecast in your destination and along the way too. Prepare accordingly, especially if snow or ice is expected. You should also heed travel advisories or warnings, because that could be the difference between getting to your destination safely and getting stranded in the cold.

Stock an Emergency Kit

If you do get stranded, you’ll be glad you thought ahead and packed an emergency kit before you left. Include the following items in your kit, and keep it in your car all winter:

• Blankets
• A phone charger
• Shelf-stable food
• Water
• A shovel
• Cat litter or sand (for traction)
• A first-aid kit

Drive Carefully

Honestly, the best thing you can do to stay safe in winter is to drive defensively and carefully. Conditions change quickly, and roads can freeze suddenly, even in rain.

Leave enough space between you and the cars around you that you can come to a sudden stop. Leave with more than enough time to get where you’re going, and be prepared for every eventuality.

Find an Auto Body Shop near Lafayette

If you do have a break-down near Lafayette or Baton Rouge, call Fabre Automotive’s service center. Our expert service technicians are here to help, whether you have a blown gasket, dead battery, or any other issue on your car. Give us a call or visit us today.