I cheered when my car started this morning. I couldn’t help it. The mercury has not hit ZERO in days. We have been sitting at about –10 degrees Fahrenheit for the last three days. When I went to start my car this morning it was –18 (with the windchill it was –39) and we don’t have an attached garage. My trusty Nissan sputtered, moaned and coughed a bit, but then roared like a champ after about 30 minutes (that’s how long I let it run before I put my child in it and ventured away from home… and believe me we wouldn’t have even left the comfort of our home if it wasn’t necessary).
In any event, unless you live in California (I saw that Sacramento reached 84 degrees today) or Hawaii (my parents said it was sunny and 83 degrees there today), then you are sharing in this Artic blast. I’ve provided winter driving tips in previous blogs, but today’s brutal drive downtown reminded of some other travel reminders you should consider before getting behind the wheel in wicked weather.
Check Your Tires. Five months ago I was cursing the fact that I had to spend $300 for three new tires. Today, I would consider that money some of the best I’ve spent in decades. No doubt about it; a good amount of tread on your tires will give you better grip than ones that are worn to the tire wear bars. What’s more, the colder it is outside the greater the chance your tires will experience a loss in air pressure. Be sure to check your tire pressure on a regular basis, especially on days when the mercury dips below zero. If you have a rear wheel drive vehicle you may even consider installing snow tires.
A Clean Car Is A Happy Car. Our beyond frigid temperatures come on the heels of a 4-inch snowfall, which means all the cars around here are the same color—grey. The mixture of sand, snow and grime not only coats the exterior of your car with an unattractive matte finish, but it also does a number on your car’s interior as well. My tip: purchase a bunch of rubber all weather mats. Carpet mats look horrible after only one winter’s worth of sand, snow, and mud is ground into their fibers. Trust me; you don’t want to know what carpet mats look like after three winter’s worth of grime.
I Can See! I Can See! I once interviewed a car care expert (during my tenure as a reporter) who recommended that all drivers replace their windshield wipers at the end of every winter. The reason: Ice, snow and extreme cold temperatures can crack and tear rubber blades. I didn’t take his advice and about four months ago one of my blades tore off during a storm–lesson learned. Today, I couldn’t help but smile knowing that it was one less thing I had to worry about.
Unfortunately, my smile faded fast when I pressed the washer fluid button—dribbles of blue liquid spattered from the little holes in the hood of my car. UGH! Where was the steady stream that I was looking for? And, where was the spare gallon of washer fluid that should have been in my trunk in case of an emergency? At the service station. You know, the place where you should check your washer fluid every time you fill up gas… and the place where you can purchase a spare gallon of the blue stuff before you journey away from home.
Related Articles:
Winter Driving: I’m Stranded-What Do I Do Now?
Winter Driving—Tips On How To Navigate Through Treacherous Travel Conditions