How To Prepare Your Hyundai for Winter
Whether you’re readying your vehicle for lower temperatures or planning a road trip through the colder climates this winter, it’s essential to learn how to prepare your Hyundai for winter. As a car owner or lessee, it’s your responsibility to ensure you and your car are ready for whatever weather winter brings.
It’s best to start your winter preparations in early fall to ensure you’re not caught unprepared when the seasons change.
It’s vital to learn how to prepare your Hyundai for winter because winter weather can create particularly dangerous situations on the road. Although Pensacola rarely sees freezing temperatures, we still may see frozen patches on our roads sometimes during winter. But even if it stays above freezing, the colder temperatures can cause more wear and tear on your vehicle, both on the road and off.
Our team at Allen Turner Hyundai has put together a list to help you be the most prepared you can be for this upcoming winter season.
Check Your Tires, Cabin Air Filter, and Wipers
Before the temperatures drop too much, check your tires, cabin air filter, and wipers. If driving through wet conditions, having strong tire treads may help prevent your car from sliding too much. To determine if your tires are sustainable for the winter, test them with a penny. If you can see Lincoln’s entire head, it’s time to replace your tires. And if you live in an area with temperatures consistently below 45 degrees, consider investing in winter tires. If you’re in the area, we can take care of any tire services you need.
Additionally, checking your car’s filters and wipers can help ensure your safety on the road in the winter. Typically, windshield wipers can last up to six months to a year before it’s time to replace them. Also remember to top off your windshield wiper fluid to ensure the winter elements don’t obstruct your vision while driving. Replacing your cabin air filter before winter ensures you maintain clean air in the car and keeps the heating system operating well. It also helps to keep air circulating throughout the vehicle. Make sure to replace your cabin air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles.
Change Your Oil
Changing your oil for winter is crucial, but staying on top of maintaining your oil year round is just as important. Making sure you keep your oil fresh helps ensure your vehicle operates well, minimizes the chances of parts overheating, and reduces wear and tear on the engine. Newer vehicles can typically go at least 5,000 miles between oil changes, but check your vehicle’s user manual for the recommended interval for your model. You can schedule an oil change right here on our website, and our team at Allen Turner Hyundai will take care of it for you.
Top Off Your Cooling System
Your car’s cooling system involves the thermostat, radiator, and water pump. Inside the system is a coolant mixture, also often called antifreeze. Before it becomes too cold, be sure to top off your Hyundai’s antifreeze to keep the engine from freezing. While inspecting the cooling system, check to see if the level is too high or if there’s a leak. If the level is high, it’s unnecessary to add more, but if there’s a leak, take your vehicle in for inspections and repairs.
Create or Update Your Winter Car Emergency Kit
Another ideal way to prepare your vehicle for the winter is to create or update your car emergency kit with winter essentials. Having a kit in your car can help you out if you encounter less-than-ideal situations, such as your vehicle breaking down or getting stuck in the snow. It’s also important to check your kit each year to ensure batteries still work and nothing is out of date, so you have everything you need when you need it.
Some items to keep in your car for colder temperatures include:
- Blankets.
- First aid kit.
- Towing rope.
- Snow shovel.
- Jumper cables.
- Bag of cat litter.
- Winter hats and gloves.
- Flashlight and batteries.
- Portable phone charger.
- Portable air compressor.
- Snow brush and ice scraper.
- Bottles of water and non-perishable foods.
Check Out Your Vehicle’s Battery
During dropping temperatures, a car battery can weaken. Checking the battery can help ensure you experience minimal challenges when starting your car. If the battery is too weak, it’s essential to make an appointment to get it replaced before the cold weather settles in.
Inspect Your Brakes and Lights
Inspecting your brakes and lights is vital before winter because having strong brakes and bright lights to see through harsh conditions helps increase your safety on the road. Test your interior and exterior lights to ensure they’re working. Check and replace your brake pads if necessary to make sure your Hyundai stops quickly.
Clean Your Hyundai
While it’s not completely crucial to clean your vehicle before the winter months come, it can be a good idea. You can take your car to the car wash to wash the exterior. Then, you can work on the inside. Be sure to wipe down the interior windows with a soft cloth and window cleaner to increase your visibility while driving. Vacuum the floors and trunk from the summer months of driving.
Additionally, cleaning out your Hyundai is a good time to deal with rust before the temperatures drop. If you have rust on your car, you can learn how to address it yourself, or you can
Did we miss an important aspect of preparing your Hyundai for winter? Contact us, and our team will be sure to add it to the list. If you’re in the Pensacola, Florida, area, drop by our lot to learn more about how to prepare your vehicle for colder climates.
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