Winter can be tough on a vehicle, which is why it’s a good idea to weatherize your car before you head out for a winter drive. Taking the time to weatherize your vehicle may reduce the likelihood of crashes and mechanical issues caused by cold, ice and snow.
Some of the little-known ways you can weatherize your vehicle for the winter months in Montana include:
- Checking for your all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive system
- Changing your vehicle’s oil to a thinner oil to prevent poor circulation
- Adding more air to your tires
Here’s a little more on each of these weatherization options and how they can help.
Use your vehicle’s all-wheel or four-wheel drive
Interestingly, many vehicles come with all-wheel or four-wheel drive, but not all people use those systems. While they’re not always necessary in warm or dry weather conditions, activating four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive can give your vehicle more traction and prevent sliding.
Use a thinner oil in the winter months
There are three kinds of oil, synthetic, mixed and conventional. Each of these comes in different mixtures. Some are thicker, while others have thinner viscosities.
It’s a good idea to use an oil with a thinner viscosity, so that your oil will travel more easily through your engine when it’s cold. Heavier, thicker oils won’t warm up as quickly or circulate as well when it’s cold outside, which could impact your vehicle.
Add more air to your tires as the temperature drops
Another thing that many people don’t know is that you should keep your tires more inflated in the winter rather than less. While less deflated tires does mean that more of the tire touches the ground, tires are designed to work best at their specified level of inflation. The grooves in the tire redirect water and slick oils, so that the tire maintains as much traction as possible.
These are three ways you can weatherize your vehicle during the winter this year. Try these methods, so your vehicle runs better and you have a lower chance of getting into a crash thanks to increased traction and vehicle response.