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Winterize Your Car

SKILL LEVEL 1

by David Toht

When leaves begin to fall and the temperature drops, it’s time to winterize your car. Do it early — don’t wait for the first snowfall when everyone rushes to buy scrapers, snow brushes and winter-grade washer fluid. And by preparing early, you have time to clear out the garage so you can shelter your car from wintry blasts.

Dave Toht is a car geek and former carpenter with more than 60 DIY books to his credit.

  • 1 Skill level

    1 out of 5

  • 8 Steps

  • 18 Materials

  • Step 1 Take care of overdue maintenance

    Winter is hard on cars. With the stress of cold temperatures, overdue maintenance can degrade into real problems. If you car is 20 years old or more, it may need that old-fashioned thing called a “tune-up" (newer cars don't need tune-ups because their ignition system is virtually self maintaining). Along with your next scheduled oil change — which might require a change in oil weight if your winters are extremely cold — ask your mechanic to check the following:

    • Antifreeze (the mix of water and coolant needs to be right for winter)
    • Brake wear
    • Belt wear and tension
    • Battery charge
    • Filters for air, PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) and fuel

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