|
|
(NAPSI)-A recent Car Care Council survey found 70 percent of people admitted to not winterizing their vehicles. In fact, AAA estimates vehicle breakdowns top 5 million during the winter holiday season alone.
"I learned how to drive in the Midwest," said Danica Patrick, IndyCar Series sensation. "This taught me that harsh weather can be hard on a car. You're risking a breakdown if you don't prepare your vehicle for the winter, even if you don't have your own pit crew."
Guidelines for keeping your car running smoothly during the winter include:
1. Check your antifreeze. Without adequate antifreeze, your car's engine, radiator and hoses are not suitably protected from freezing. Look for products such as PEAK Longlife Antifreeze, which provides up to five year/150,000-mile protection. The company also offers a 50/50 blend that's ready to use for an easy top off.
2. Prepare an emergency kit. Pack a flashlight, jumper cables, tire chains and tool kit. Also, throw a heavy bag of sand in the trunk; the extra weight will help you get better traction on icy roads.
3. Check your battery. Harsh weather can cut a battery's life in half, so make sure to check it before bad weather hits.
4. Change your wipers. Check for signs of cracking or tearing and replace if there's evidence of streaking or smearing. Try the Mr. Clean Wiper Blades and the Premium Windshield Wash. The blades' advanced rubber technology delivers superclean, super- quiet wiping in all types of weather conditions. And the strong deicing windshield wash will clean and protect from freeze-over down to -30° F.
5. Keep tires at the proper pressure. Tire gauges are very inexpensive and easy to keep in your glove box. And they're simple to use. Also, consider specialized winter tires if you drive in areas that suffer from extreme weather.
6. Keep the gas tank at least half full. This is important in order to prevent gas lines from freezing.
By taking these simple steps, you can keep your car on the road and out of the garage. For more information and to learn more helpful tips to keep cars running smoothly all winter long, log on to www.peakantifreeze.com.