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Car repairs can make a big dent in your budget. One way to prevent them is to winterize your vehicle.
And you don’t have to be a mechanic. There are simple preventive measures you can take that will help keep your vehicle on the road and cash in your wallet.
These winterizing tips come from Team Clark research and from money expert Clark Howard himself.
Let’s look at some ways you can help keep your vehicle running smoothly in the cold months without busting your budget.
It’s important to keep your wiper fluid reservoir adequately filled. Even though the fluid has an anti-freezing agent in it, it can thicken or freeze if there’s not enough in the tank.
And you want to avoid using your windshield wipers to try to get solid ice off your windshield. That’s a quick way to destroy your wiper blades. Once you’ve got it reduced to slush (with a scraper and your defroster), you can use the wipers to finish off the job.
What you should do:
Cold weather is no friend to car batteries, so you want to make sure your battery is operating at its top level.
What you should do:
When it’s freezing outside, keeping your car’s interior nice and toasty is a must. Here are some ways you can optimize the heat.
What you should do:
Another easy thing you can do yourself without spending any money is to check the coolant in your radiator.
If your system hasn’t been flushed in at least two years, try to have a professional mechanic take a look at it before winter hits in earnest. (This isn’t free, but mechanics can spot leaks and related problems).
What you should do:
The DMV.org website says, “It is especially important to have the correct antifreeze/water mixture to prevent fluid from freezing in your radiator. Pick up a tester at an auto parts store and make sure the fluid is filled to the maximum line.”
Snow tires have come a long way in the last couple of decades: They used to work exclusively in heavy snowfall and would perform terribly in dry conditions. Nowadays, snow tires are more versatile, but they still have a shorter tread life than the all-season tires that come with your car.
So, should you buy winter tires? It depends on where you live. In extreme winter climates, it may make sense to spend a little extra on winter tires, which will give you extra traction on snow and wet roads.
But if it usually stays above 30 degrees where you live (other than a few brief cold snaps), you should be able to get by just fine without spending any money on snow tires.
No matter which tires you choose, they need to be in good shape to keep you safe.
What you should do:
The bottom line is that winterizing your car doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. The key is to take care of practical things like:
Ready to rev up your savings even more? Here are some DIY tips to help you save on car repairs.
This post was last modified on December 8, 2020 8:06 am
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