Winter comes and goes every year. With this, you have to be mindful of how to best prepare your car for the winter months in Illinois. Follow our list below to ensure that both you and your car, truck or SUV are ready for the sometimes brutal winter months ahead.
1. Check Your Tire Tread and Replace Tires if Needed
a. When winter’s here, the last thing you want to do is find out the hard way that you should have checked your tire tread and/or replaced your tires. Be sure to do the “Penny Test” to check your tread easily. Take a penny and hold it heads-up in between the tread of the tire. If the entirety of Lincoln’s head is visible in between the tire tread, it's time to replace your tires.
b. If Lincoln’s head is visible, it’s time to replace your tires.
i. There’s nothing worse than having a tire blow-out, especially during the colder months. You don’t want to wait for a tow truck or have to self-install a spare tire. Be sure to check your tire tread and if you’re in need of replacing your tire(s), you can easily order tires at Patrick Volvo Cars and we’ll even install them on your vehicle for you so that you don’t have to worry, or have to deal with replacing the tires yourself.
2. Change your oil and antifreeze
a. Be sure to regularly change your oil and antifreeze, not just during the winter months. This helps ensure that your vehicle doesn’t have any issues when you’re driving during the winter.
b. Have Patrick Volvo Cars change and top-off your fluids
i. If you don’t want to have to worry about changing or topping off the fluids in your car yourself, give Patrick Volvo Cars a call or schedule service today.
3. Prepare a Winter Emergency Kit
a. Prepare yourself a Winter Emergency kit that you can keep in your car year-round. If your car dies, you run out of gas or you get a flat tire, be sure to have an emergency kit with a few essentials to help you get through. You will want to be prepared to survive an emergency situation if necessary. Just remember: if you don’t have all of the below items, it’s okay. Just be sure to have a few to help you get by, so you don’t have to worry about your safety during the brutal winter months.
i. Matches
ii. Non-perishable snacks
iii. Ice scraper
iv. Blanket
v. Water
vi. Flashlight
vii. Shovel
viii. Cat litter
ix. Toolbox
x. First aid kit
xi. Jumper cables
xii. Portable Battery charger
xiii. Cell phone car charger
4. Inspect your battery
a. With winter coming up, you will want to be sure to get your battery checked. With the colder weather, your car’s battery charge will lessen which could cause complications with starting your vehicle. It’s best to have a reputable service department like Patrick Volvo Cars Service make sure your car battery is fully charged, or replaced if necessary.
Just because winter is coming doesn’t mean that you have to fret about what you should do to prepare your car for the weather. Just be sure to follow the above steps to ensure that you and your family (as well as your vehicle) remain safe during the coldest season. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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