How to Weatherproof Your Car for Winter

Driving in the winter in Canada is a very precarious activity. With hail, ice, snow and slush, it’s important not only to exercise caution behind the wheel but also ensure your vehicle is ready for whatever the weather has in store. It’s extremely important to protect your car against the elements if you want it to emerge from the colder months with no damage. Here’s how to weather-proof your car for winter:

Windshields

All drivers know that there’s nothing worse than waking up early for work to go scrape ice off of your windshield in the bitter cold before your commute. From the unbearable sound to the care you have to take to ensure your windshield doesn’t get scratched, it’s an awful way to start to the day. Luckily, there are new windshield-wiper fluids on the market that contain a de-icing additive. This solution melts the ice so you can just wipe it away from the comfort of your vehicle’s interior. You can additionally coat your windshield with an ice & frost shield. This product prevents build-up of ice and snow so even if you wake up to a blizzard outside it’ll only take one swipe of the wipers for your windshield to be clear.

Visibility

Once you’ve defrosted and cleared your windshield, windows and mirrors, don’t forget to brush off your headlights, tail lights and blinkers. It can be easy to move through the scraping and wiping steps quickly and forget about your car lights. It is absolutely imperative that other vehicles, bikers and pedestrians can see where you’re going so don’t let this step go to the wayside.

Start Your Car from Afar

If you dread waking up and having to sit in a freezing car waiting for it to warm up, you should definitely consider investing in a remote car starter. These must have been invented with Canadian winters in mind. Using a remote to start your car means you won’t have to wait for it to warm up and it’ll help melt the ice and snow from your windows and windshield. They’re a bit pricey but certainly worth it when it comes to helping you reduce stress in the morning and cutting down on damage from scraping.

Antifreeze

Antifreeze is one of the most forgotten elements in weatherproofing your car for winter. Your engine still needs to be cooled even when the temperatures drop below zero. It is recommended to combine a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water during the colder months. You can either buy straight antifreeze and mix it with water yourself or pick up a prediluted solution. It’s crucial to constantly be aware of the coolant levels of your engine because the last thing you want in winter is to be stuck on the side of the road with a malfunctioning engine.

Tires 

You might be able to get away with all-season tires but we highly recommend winter tires. It’s a fantastic idea to change your tires for the colder months to prevent skidding or hydroplaning on the road. It’s worth the additional costs just for your own peace of mind. Once the temperatures drop, make sure your tires have a tread that is at least 4 mm deep. If your all-season tires’ treads don’t pass the test, it’s time to get some winter tires.

Emergency Kit

If worst comes to worst and you do need to pull over to the side of the road due to an engine malfunction or a tire popping, make sure you have a special winter emergency kit in your trunk. It should include the usual items you’d need in an emergency like jumper cables, tools and motor oil. Make sure you also have:

• Flashlight
• Thick blanket
• Shovel
• Sand, salt or kitty litter (to create external traction if you end up getting stuck in a snow bank.)

Winter can be tough on even the most durable of vehicles. At York Auto Glass, we do same-day windshield replacements with a lifetime warranty. If your windshield has minimal damage and just needs an auto glass chip repair we’ll come to you and have it fixed within 45 minutes. It’s necessary to weather-proof your car for winter but you must also keep in mind that the season is unpredictable and accidents do happen. Contact us if you need any help weather-proofing your vehicle or replacing or repairing your auto glass.