I may just be coincidence, but you can go through the summer and fall with no signs of a problem with your car and then, on the first freezing morning, it doesn’t start.

Getting your car ready for winter weather is important, if you want to be confident you car will keep running. The best time to prepare is before the winter sets in and the things you need to do are to some extent dependent on where you live and the type of winter conditions you usually experience.

You car’s battery is the life blood for your car, so make sure it’s in good condition. Put your battery on a trickle charge overnight. Trickle charging a battery is the best way to maintain it. While your alternator charges your battery while driving, the way it charges is different from a trickle charge. As the name suggests, it charges the battery very slowly. This allows a deep charge to develop, meaning your battery is able to hold a greater charge for longer. It’s wise to consider doing this about once a month during the winter, to get optimum performance from your battery.

Make sure your coolant in your car’s radiator is at the correct strength so it doesn’t freeze. Terrible damage can be done to an engine if the coolant freezes, often resulting in the engine block cracking. The best method is to drain some coolant from the radiator; there is a drain plug at the bottom of the radiator. Remove the coolant filler cap and then gradually open the drain plug so about a couple of pints of fluid drains. Tighten the drain plug then fill up the coolant reservoir with neat coolant until you reach the minimum mark. Now fill up to the maximum marker using tap water and replace the cap. Turn on your engine and let it idle until it gets to operating temperature. This allows the new coolant to mix with the existing coolant and the water.

Check you have a full bottle of windshield washer and that it contains a plenty of washer fluid. This will ensure it won’t freeze and you will be able to clean your windshield properly.

Check all your lights are working. Turn them on and walk around the car. Replace any bulbs that are blown. Don’t forget to check your reversing and stop lights. You can either do this by reversing your toward a garage door so you can see the reflection in the door, or get a friend to stand behind the car while you put your foot on the brake pedal and put your car into reverse. You don’t need to have the engine while doing this, just turn the ignition key until all the dashboard lights illuminate.

Check your tires are in good condition. Make sure you have good tread and the tires are inflated correctly. If you live in an area where you get plenty of snowfall, then it’s wise to invest in getting winter tires.

Lawrence Reaves writes about Used Ford Engines and Used Ford Transmissions for Woodfins.com

Lawrence Reaves writes about Used Ford Engines and Used Ford Transmissions for http://www.Woodfins.com

Author Bio: Lawrence Reaves writes about Used Ford Engines and Used Ford Transmissions for Woodfins.com

Category: Automotive
Keywords: cars, car parts, auto parts, used auto parts, DIY car maintenance, general car care