Vehicle Winter Prep

Today is the worst longest day darkness of the year; from here on, it's all getting lighter, thank God. Today's to-do list didn't include working on the car but that's what I found myself doing. I should do vehicle checks every quarter but I usually do them twice a year. Let's face it, since Dave died, it all falls to me and, usually, I'm doing the best I can. Some days that's pretty good and other days...not so much. Anyway, these wipes are used as prep to clean the windows, inside and out and then rain-x fills the fluid container.

In my part of the country, using rain-x in winter is a good thing; it's good to 25 degrees F and, let's face it, I'm not driving in that kind of weather anyway, unless it's an extreme emergency. It also helps water, snow and sleet bead up and slide off the windshield easier.

Make sure the container for the windshield fluid is filled and also make sure your fluid is good for the temperatures where you live. It really does pay to use the good stuff; the gallon jug for eighty-nine cents is great for putting in your spray bottle and using on your house windows. It's far less expensive than using Windex and works just as well, maybe better.

While you're at it, rain-x and rain-vision are excellent products to wipe on the outside of the windows; both take a little bit of work but the results are well worth it. The product is wiped on a clean windshield, allowed to haze, wiped on again, washed off and then the window dried. Rain, sleet and snow will simply bead up then slide down your windshield; an added bonus is, so will dirt. You can tell from the bottle, I've had this for a while and it still works great. It does need to be re-applied every so often and after washing the vehicle.

NOTE: If using rain-x or rain-vision, when rain/sleet/snow starts, do NOT use your windshield wipers. The more you use those wipers, the more the blades wipe off the windshield treatment and your work is for naught.

It's suggested windshield wiper blades be changed every six months but who does that? I try and do it once a year but, probably, miss that deadline as well.

Never Fog is used on the inside of the windows to prevent fog from clouding the windows.  Then I move on to beneath the hood...

The hoses are checked for tightness and to make sure there aren't any cracks or slits.

I try and change the oil every 3,000 to 3,500 miles; oil is the life-blood of a vehicle.

If necessary, I'll top off the oil; today, it needed a few ounces and we've always used Penzoil.

Check the anti-freeze; make sure it's full but if you need to top it off, please consider taking it to a repair shop and have them do it. There are low-tox antifreezes, propylene glycol antifreezes, that are safe for pets but most are ethylene glycol and will kill a dog very quickly. Dogs love to drink antifreeze so I don't keep it around; when I need to top off the fluid holder, I go to the gentlemen who work on my car and have them do it. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I check the battery to make sure the cables are tight. This is a sealed battery so I don't have to worry about topping off the fluids.

The trash bag was emptied and my next step was checking tire pressure and topping off before I used the Armor All to clean the inside of the car. It may not sound like a lot of work but it took about three five hours so the next time your husband is working on your car, thank him. It takes a fair amount of work to keep a vehicle in top performance, clean and running safely. If you're single, take time now, before weather gets really terrible, to make sure your car is in good shape. After all, it's your life that vehicle is protecting. By the way, these are all products Dave and I have used for decades; no one has paid me anything to talk about these products...but if they had, I would have cashed the check -grin-.

UPDATE: Don't forget to check brake and steering wheel fluids.

Next vehicle post will what to keep in your car for emergencies.

Blessings ~ good products ~ clean car ~ safe car ~