Test your car battery and clean battery terminals.

Car batteries have a limited life, don’t wait for yours to fail and leave you stranded. You can check the condition of your vehicles battery, starter and entire charging system with a battery tester. Besides testing voltage, a battery tester checks for internal resistance and conductance, giving you a good idea of the battery’s overall condition. Corrosion buildup on battery posts and terminals can cause hard starting problems in cold weather and prevent your charging system from recharging your battery. This is why cleaning your battery terminals anytime of the year is important. If you don’t have your own battery tester or don’t want to clean the terminals yourself, your local auto repair shop will. See them if you need assistance. 

Consider Winter Tires

Worn tires and winter driving create a particularly dangerous combination. They increase your stopping distance and decrease stability on wet roads. Winter tires could save your life. Winter tires or snow tires provide much more traction on snow, getting you started 33 percent faster from a stop sign and reducing your stopping distance by almost 30-feet compared to all-season tires. Winter tires even perform better on ice, stopping you 48 percent faster and reducing side skid in turns. With better stopping distance and handling in turns, winter tires can prevent a potential at-fault accident.

Get Winter Wiper Blades

Ordinary wiper blades get packed with snow and ice, causing the blade to streak or miss large areas of your windshield. Winter wiper blades eliminate that problem. A rubber boot encloses the entire blade, preventing ice and snow from sticking or packing. They make for much better visibility and safer winter driving. Remove your old wiper blades and store for use again next spring. Then snap on the winter wiper blades and see clearly all winter.

Lubricate

Lubricate your window tracks. Freezing water can seep into the window tracks and create drag when you try to open the window. Lower the window and shoot the spray right into the front and back window track. Apply enough lube so it drips all the way down the track.

Lubricate weather stripping. If water seeps between your door and weather stripping and freezes, you could be frozen out of your car or truck. To prevent the water from freezing you out, coat the weather stripping and the mating door surfaces with spray silicone.

Lubricate your door locks. If you don’t keep the lock cylinders lubricated, they’ll corrode, making it impossible for you to use your key. If your key fob battery ever dies, you’ll be locked out. Lubricating door and trunk lock cylinders is easy. It is something you should do not only to your vehicle locks, but also to your entry door locks as you winterize your home. Putting graphite lock lubricant into the keyway works well, as long as you don’t overdo it.

Lubricate latches and hinges. Especially your hood latch. Since the latch mechanism sits right behind the grille, it tends to corrode and seize from all the salt spray kicked up by the cars driving in front of you. You can prevent that corrosion by lubricating the latch mechanism before the snow flies. Just pop the hood and soak the latch with spray lithium grease.

Keep a Winter Survival Kit Handy

If you are properly equipped, you will be able to cope with most winter roadside breakdowns and avoid getting frostbite. For those of you that live or drive through rural, sparsely populated areas, being stuck in a blizzard can cost you your life. Here are the essential items your winter car survival kit should include:

• Cell Phone Charger
• Flashlight (w/ batteries)
• Warm Blanket/Gloves/Hat/Jacket
• Jumper Cables
• Cat Litter or Floor Sweep
• Spare Tire and Tire Changing Kit
• A small tool kit (screwdrivers, pliers, an adjustable wrench, duct tape, zip ties)
• A Basic First-Aid Kit
• Snacks (Like a granola bar or protein bar)