Handy Driver’s Guide for Solutions To Common Winter Car Problems
How to Survive a Vehicle Breakdown in the Winter?
Cold temperatures, sudden snowstorms and ice may wreak havoc on your vehicle with serious auto problems, from a dying battery to frosted-over windows, affecting its overall performance and efficiency. To help you navigate the different winter auto challenges like a pro, the experts at Terra Nova GMC Buick have prepared a handy guide for all drivers with solutions to some common auto problems you may experience through the challenging winter season. Take a look!
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Practical Solutions to Common Winter Car Problems
- Dead battery: In winter, car batteries lose their charge quickly and fail to hold a charge for long, making it harder to start the engine.
How to solve it? To avoid this problem, have a professional load test your battery as soon as temperatures drop to help prevent battery drain in winter. Also, always carry jumper cables and learn to use them safely in emergencies. - Thickened fluids: The fluids in your car, including engine oil, can thicken as the temperature drops, affecting overall vehicle performance.
How to solve it? To avoid this issue, use winter-grade engine oil and other automotive fluids, including coolant/antifreeze and wiper fluid, to ensure a seamless driving experience. - Poor traction: Winter roads are slippery, and can easily make you lose control of your vehicle, especially if you’re not maintaining proper tire pressure or checking the tire treads.
How to solve it? Switch to winter tires, designed for winter roads and providing optimal traction and control in slippery, sloppy, and icy conditions. In winter, you may also inflate your tires slightly more, as they can lose pressure due to condensation. - Inefficient brakes: Winter roads can significantly affect braking performance, reducing responsiveness.
How to solve it? Get your braking system or brakes checked by experienced technicians beforehand. Also, ensure your brake calipers, brake pads, and rotors are in good working order. - Blocked exhaust pipe: Snow accumulation can block your car’s exhaust pipe, leading to dangerous carbon monoxide buildup inside your car.
How to solve it? Before starting your car in winter, check the exhaust pipe for any buildup or obstruction.
Top Survival Tips For a Winter Vehicle Breakdown
Follow the safety tips below always to be prepared for what may come your way when driving in challenging cold weather:
- Call for help. By calling for help right away, you’ll be left stranded in your car for a shorter period of time. Waiting too long or thinking someone will eventually pass by and help can be very dangerous.
- Don’t leave your car. For safety reasons, do not leave your vehicle. By staying inside your car, you’ll stay warm and protected from the harsh winter weather and possible predators.
- Turn on your vehicle’s emergency flashers. You need to turn on your car’s emergency flashers immediately because: a) it helps you notify other vehicles that you need assistance and have a vehicle breakdown, and b) to make your vehicle noticeable to others, so they don’t hit your car while driving by, especially during nighttime or gloomy weather conditions.
- Put a ‘Help’ sign in your vehicle’s window. If able, place a sign that says “Help” in your window; you’re notifying others of your emergency and that you need immediate help. Other drivers are more likely to stop and help if you post a sign.
- Turn on your engine to stay warm. Before you do this, make sure that your vehicle’s tailpipe is exposed. By turning on your engine occasionally, you’ll be able to stay warm and safe. You won’t want to leave it running the whole time; just keep it running long enough to stay warm while you wait for help to arrive.
Get Your Car Prepared For Winter at Terra Nova GMC Buick
Need help getting your car ready for the challenging winter season? Please visit our certified technicians at Terra Nova GMC Buick, who use OEM recommendations and industry standards in our well-equipped service facility to get every auto problem fixed. To book an appointment, visit us at 595 Kenmount Road, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador or call us at 709-364-4130, today!