Seasonal car care is all about getting your vehicle ready for whatever Mother Nature throws your way, and then keeping it that way. Think of it as a yearly tune-up, but with a focus on the seasons. You’ll want to check things like the battery, tires, and all the fluids, plus the air conditioning and heating, depending on whether it’s summer, the monsoon season, or winter. Doing this right means your car will be safer, run better, and be more dependable, no matter the weather. Plus, it helps you avoid those annoying breakdowns that always seem to happen at the worst possible moment.
You’re driving down the road when it starts raining cats and dogs. You flick your wipers to high, but rather than clearing the glass, the smeared water leaves almost nothing to see. It’s a well-known and terrifying scenario for any driver. For decades, the answer has been Rain-X, the blue bottle that lives to be…
The last snow has melted, the birds are singing and the sun is finally shining. For many, this means it’s time to crack open the windows and do a top-to-bottom cleaning of the home. But what about your car? Months of being coated in road salt, freezing slush and pesky sand is taking a silent…
If you’ve opened the door on a frigid, snowy morning and discovered the car is completely stuck, you know how frustrating or even stressful this situation can be. Frozen car doors are a cold-weather headache for many drivers, especially in areas where snow, ice and water combine overnight. Water gets inside the door seals, freezes when it’s…
If your battery dies, you slide into a snowbank, or your car breaks down for any reason other than a fender bender under not-too-dire conditions, a standard winter day can suddenly become wouldn’t-wish-on-anyone hazardous. Winter driving has its own set of challenges — from the cold to ice-covered roads, limited visibility and longer wait times for roadside…
If you are a driver during the winter, then I am sure that you know about those inevitable white crusty stains that form on the floor of your car. It is applied to keep roads safe, but road salt leaves ugly stains on car interior that can ruin your car. Most drivers attempt vacuuming or wiping away the…
How to check tire tread is one of the easiest but the most important car maintenance for any driver. Your tires are the only part of your car that actually makes contact with the road, and if you’ve got a tread worn down to nothing, you’re not going to get as good of traction, which can lead…
For those in a salt-covered wintery road area or a frequent battle with rain, humidity, or coastal factors, rust is up there as one of the largest long-term threats to your car’s aging process. Most drivers believe a modern car is completely impervious to rust, but that isn’t the case. Tiny chips, scratches and visible metal under the…
Your tires are the single most important safety feature on your car when winter rolls around. Snow-packed roads, black ice and the thunderous pitter-patter of freezing rain can turn an average commute into a harrowing hellride in no time. A great many drivers believe all-season tires are adequate for winter, but this belief too often leads to…
And when it’s cold, so is your tire pressure. What many drivers may not know is that cold weather can cause tire pressure to drop dramatically — resulting in poor handling, diminished fuel efficiency and even hazardous blowouts. If you’ve ever looked down at a cold morning and seen your tire pressure warning light glowing, then you’re…
Though they keep you from skidding on ice, winter how to prevent rust from road salt silently eat away at your car. Road salt is one of the most significant causes of rust, particularly in cold climates where it’s applied every day. What many drivers might not know is that salt sticks to the undercarriage, wheel wells…