Car Or Truck During the Winter

When winter hits, there is less and less quality time to wash your vehicle and do general maintenance. This is particularly true of those of us who live in northern climates, as the cold and the lack of sunlight can really affect how we go about doing work on our cars. Here are some quick tips for taking care of your car or truck during the winter time.

1. Washing. Washing your car in the winter can be tricky. Not only will the water freeze quickly, it will be hard for you to find the time or the patience to actually do it. Obviously, you don't want to do this in your driveway, as the water will freeze on your vehicle as well as the driveway, making it harder than ever to actually get up it. Take your car or truck to the nearest self-serve wash and bring along towels and stuff to dry your vehicle off. These are great because they are always heated and allow you to take the time to properly clean all of the truck accessories you have of the salt that can absolutely destroy the body and parts by letting rust take hold. When you are done, be sure to wipe down as much of the vehicle as you can because otherwise the water can freeze quickly and that would be bad on things like your brakes and doors.

2. Maintenance. What happens if your car or truck is due to have an oil change during the winter months and you are the sort who likes to do it yourself and not have to rely on others for the service? The simple answer is to prepare your garage before you undertake the task. By purchasing some space heaters and turning them up to high, you can blast hot air into your garage and actually make it somewhat bearable to do the work. I would recommend letting the space heaters work their magic for a few hours at least so that there is a reasonable amount of warmth in the garage. If all else fails, you can position the heater nearer to yourself so that it is a little more bearable to actually perform the oil change.

3. Breakdowns. Should this, for whatever reason, happen to you, it is best to have some sort of kit in your car that contains blankets, candy bars, hats and gloves, a flashlight as well as a cell phone. Having these things handy will keep you from getting frozen by the temperatures outside and you can call a towing company or simply someone nearby for help.

Taking care of your car or truck during the winter can seem arduous, but if you do it right, it isn't really that much of a problem. Follow these tips and your winter will be more productive and your car will come out the other side better off than in previous years.