Many factors could be responsible for your car malfunctioning during the winter months. These factors include but are not limited to weather, age, mileage, and maintenance. It is essential to understand how to protect your car from bad weather conditions. However, do you know how to protect your vehicle from bad weather conditions? It is not as difficult as you think, and all it takes is a little knowledge, a little practice, and a little foresight.
The Importance Of Protecting Your Vehicle From Bad Weather
Your car will likely be a source of pride and joy for you. Because of this, you must take all necessary steps to protect it from the elements. While some hot weather precautions are required, the most damage typically comes from the weather on the colder end of the thermometer. A car left exposed to the elements without adequate protection can end up with the following issues and end up costing a lot of money to fix:
- Dead battery: Cold weather is anathema to the good functioning of car batteries. They also happen to be expensive items to replace if they die.
- Flat tires: While not a catastrophe, they are a nuisance to have to inflate. However, if left deflated for long enough, it can also damage the wheels.
- Thick oil: This is another pain you wouldn’t have to deal with if you took sufficient precautions.
- Damaged paintwork: Damaged paint and bodywork can come from dead leaves, salt and grit, and any number of things associated with bad weather. It is also highly costly to repaint.
- Ice in the fuel line: While the fuel itself won’t freeze (unless in extremely frigid temperatures), the moisture in the fuel line can freeze, causing all sorts of issues when you want to start your car up again.
- Frozen windows: Sudden freezing and thawing can cause your windows to crack, another expensive expense you’ll have to deal with.
Now that you are sufficiently au fait with the potential damage that can occur from keeping your car unprotected, you may wonder how to prevent these costly damages from occurring.
Your Car Should Be Kept Inside
If you are fortunate to own a house with a garage, that is undoubtedly the best place to keep your car during the winter months. This is because you can keep it away from the elements, and while it might still be cold, it will be better than keeping it outdoors. Furthermore, it makes daily maintenance that bit more enjoyable than if it was outside on your driveway. However, what can you do if you don’t have a garage? Luckily, you still have options. For example, you can use a portable garage to set up your drive.
Nevertheless, you should be careful when in the market form one as they are not all created equally. Generally speaking, the best portable garage will be constructed from durable material to withstand inclement weather. This extended to the fabric used for the covering and the metals and joints used to keep it standing.
Don’t Park Under Trees
If you are in the unfortunate position of not having a garage and cannot set up a portable covering, you should avoid parking underneath trees whenever possible. If you do park under them, you are setting yourself up to deal with all manner of paint and bodywork issues. From simple problems like falling leaves mulching on your roof to potentially severe damage caused by falling branches during windy weather, there are numerous ways in which trees are detrimental to the good health of your vehicle! If you happen to live in a location with tree-lined streets, you should perhaps invest in a car cover that can help you avoid costly paintwork damage from the general detritus that often falls from trees.
Consider Disconnecting Your Battery
If you know that you won’t be using your car for an extended period and you also know that it will be a particularly fierce winter, you might want to disconnect your battery for good measure. You can keep it inside your house to keep it safe from extreme temperatures. Just ensure that you recharge it gently with a trickle charger before reattaching it.
Fill Up With Fresh Oil
Oil thickens as the temperature drops in the winter, and your car may overwork itself trying to circulate it. It’s essential to double-check your handbook for the most up-to-date information on oil thickness guidelines for the upcoming season. When replacing the oil, replace the filter as well to maintain consistent and smooth circulation. This will guarantee that the engine runs smoothly even when the seasons change.
Before You Drive Off, Warm Up Your Vehicle Properly
Keeping your vehicle’s cabin heated during frigid temperatures helps it run at its best. When warming up your car, though, you must find a balance between attaining the proper temperatures and wasting petrol and battery power. You can utilize the heater vents to augment warm air if you use the defroster. By thawing the windows quickly, you can soon spread warmth towards yourself. Nevertheless, there is no reason to pour hot water over frozen windows, as doing so will cause the glass to crack.
All-Weather Floor Mats Are Recommended
Investing in an all-weather floor mat is the best method to ensure that your vehicle’s interior is protected. If you are driving in cold weather, your feet will likely be exposed to all manner of minerals that can be harmful to your car. Therefore, you should protect your car’s flooring from harsh weather and everyday wear and tear. These floor mats will not harden, break, or curl if exposed to below-freezing conditions. In most cases, it’s built of a high-quality polymer that successfully traps water, road salt, sand, and dirt.
The best solution is to get the best car cover that you can get for your car. A car cover can help protect your vehicle from the elements that may cause damage to your car. Your vehicle will last longer, and you will have a better vehicle to drive if you have a quality car cover. Nonetheless, by following the tips in this post, you should be in a far better position to keep your pride and joy from stuffing the ill effects of poor weather.