The “Other” Fluids – Fuel Levels, Washer Fluid, Gear Oil, Engine Oil and Anti-Freeze
Sub zero temperatures can be rough on your car. Preparing ahead of time can help prevent some major problems that may cause some headaches such as your gas lines freezing, your doors freezing closed or your engine acting up. Here we will cover some minor preventative maintenance that will help to ensure your car makes it through the cold days and nights.
First we want o look at your gasoline and other Xe đông lạnh fluids. If the weather is going to drop below freezing it is best to keep at least a ½ a tank of gas in your car. It also is a good idea to add some Isopropyl alcohol dry gas to your tank when the temp dips below -10 F to prevent your lines from freezing. Nothing is more aggravating then frozen fuel lines in a car. You will also want to have your coolant tested to make sure it is good for -45 F so your water jackets in your engine do not freeze if they do then you can crack your block or head ruining your engine. You will also want to make sure you have windshield washer fluid rated for below freezing. Many department stores sell fluid that is only good to -10 F so be sure to read the label. Finally make sure you have winter rated oil in your car, this is usually not an issue these days.
Don’t wash your car before the temp drops to prevent your doors and windows from freezing shut. No matter how dirty your car is if you wash your car in freezing temperatures your rubber seals on doors and windows will freeze and your doors or windows will not open. I remember year ago I tried this and actually got stuck in my vehicle, not fun at all. If for some reason it was a warm day and rainy a good idea would be to wipe out your door jams and dry all the seals with a rag or chamois to remove any moisture.
Some other things you can do are to park your car out of the wind as much as possible, many times the temperature might be -10 but the wind chill -40 which could cause things to freeze up. You should also let your car get up to temperature before driving when it is real cold. Try not to rev the engine until the car has reached operating temperature. Oil is thick when it is cold and needs to warm up before it can do its job and fully lubricate your engine. It is also a good idea to have your battery and charging system tested to make sure they are up to par.
Some batteries that will start a car at 10 F will not turn the car over at -15 so testing ahead of time will help prevent your car not starting. Also if you have a dead battery never boost a frozen battery as it can explode.
Hopefully these tips have helped you in some fairly easy checks before cold weather hits. A car that does not start in cold weather is not a pleasurable experience and we want to do everything we can to prevent that from happening.