Preparing for the Elements: Tips for Getting Your Car Ready for Winter Driving

Harsh Montana winters can be a handful for any driver – whether you grew up in the blustery frigid conditions of Northeastern Montana or along the beaches of Southern California. Slippery roads, drastic changes in temperatures and less daylight hours can prove difficult for even experienced winter drivers. But the tough conditions can cause trouble for vehicles too. Rest assured there are a few simple steps you can take to better prepare your ride for the winter months.

Mike Cook, Vice President of MasterLube, says that getting ready for winter isn’t much different than preparing for any other season. “The all around key is preventative maintenance,” he says. “Be sure to change your oil every three months or 3,000 miles and check your fluids on a regular basis. Stay on top of flushes, belt replacements and drive train services.”

With that in mind, there are a few components to watch especially carefully during cold weather:

ANTIFREEZE
Making sure your antifreeze is protected to -34 degrees is important to maintaining proper engine protection. Antifreeze is tested during each full-service oil changeYour antifreeze is tested by one of our technicians during every oil change. If our technician finds that your coolant is not protected adequately, you can have your radiator flushed. This process uses a specially designed machine to remove the old coolant and add new coolant quickly – the whole process only takes about 20 minutes.
While a radiator flush can cost more than other preventative maintenance services, like basic oil changes or drive train services, John Beckner, owner of JB Automotive puts is quite simply; “it certainly beats buying a new engine!” Beckner says that, during winter, some of the most common problems that come into his shop relate to a car’s antifreeze.

BATTERY
Beckner also noted that it’s important to have your car battery checked before harsh weather hits. “The cold weather puts more strain on the battery,” he says. MasterLube technicians can check your battery at no additional cost and the process only takes a few minutes. You’ll even get a computerized printout of the test results. If your battery needs to be replaced, you can purchase quality Exide batteries at any of our locations and have it installed during any service.
It’s also important to carry a pair of jumper cables in your car. In fact, jumper cables are a good component to a winter driving “kit.” For more information on building a winter driving kit, page 13 of the Montana Disaster & Emergency Survival Guide by the Montana Department of Transportation provides a great list of essential items.

WASHER FLUID/WIPERS
It might seem like a bit of a “no brainer,” but since regular (or “summer blend”) washer fluid is made up of mostly water – it freezes easily. Use a winter concentrate washer fluid and be sure your windshield wiper blades are in good condition. Having regular washer fluid in your reservoir when the temperature reaches freezing can cause the liquid to freeze and cause damage to the reservoir, pump and hoses in the washer fluid system. Plastic reservoirs and hoses just aren’t meant to withstand rock solid ice – and when they break, it can be quite a mess! The washer fluid at all MasterLube stores is rated to 0 degrees. A special additive can also be purchased that brings the freezing point of the fluid down to -20 degrees.
Wiper blades not only help remove the falling snow as your driving, but also come in handy on warmer days when the melting muck from the street is splashed all over your windshield! We all love it when the warm sun melts away the prior evening’s snowfall, but the muddy mess is a whole other story!
Wiper blades are generally replaced once a year since drastic temperature changes in this part of the world cause a breakdown in the rubber of the blade.

TIRES
The general rule of thumb for tires during winter is really quite simple: have good tread and check your pressure often. As the weather turns cold, Tire pressure can checked upon request by any of our technicianstire pressure can drop as much as one pound per square inch for each 10 degree drop in temperature (air contracts when it’s cold – expands when it’s hot). Tom Bonogofsky, owner of LP Anderson Tire Company, points out how difficult it is to stay on top of tire pressure during the winter: “The trouble with inflating your tires when its 30 degrees outside is that if it drops down to -20 degrees, you could lose quite a bit of pressure,” he says, “and on the other side, if the weather heats up to 70 degrees, you could be over inflated.” For this reason, it’s important to check your tire pressure more often during winter months. MasterLube technicians can check your tire pressure at no additional fee – just ask your technician.
Bonogofsky also says that many tire shops are happy to check your tire tread and make recommendations, often at no charge. He also noted that while studded snow tires are always an option for vehicle owners, there are now quality stud-less snow tires on the market that are specially designed to handle adverse weather conditions.

EXTERIOR
While most of us are concerned with what’s “under the hood” during winter months, Brett Godfrey of MasterLube’s Hand Car Wash points out that it’s also important to remember the exterior. “A good wax job can help prepare your paint and body for the elements,” he says, “but also know that the deicer that is sprayed on the roads can be very corrosive.” Godfrey recommends washing your vehicle once a week, since the damage from such chemicals can happen so quickly. “The most common thing I see is damage to the wheels and chrome,” he says, “it’s nice to have deicer on the roads so we don’t slip around so much, but it’s also important to get it off your paint, chrome and wheels as soon as possible.”
Godfrey also shed some light on a common problem – frost on the inside of the windshield. He says that during the winter, folks get into their cars with snow covered or wet shoes. The snow melts onto the floor mats and evaporates into the cabin of the car. During the summer, people often have their windows open often enough to allow moisture to escape, but winter months don’t allow for as many fresh air opportunities. As a result, the trapped water forms frost on the inside of the windshield. Combating this problem is as easy as maintaining clean and dry floor mats and upholstery.
Another exterior element that is often overlooked is headlamps. Winter in Montana means shorter days and often, more driving at night. Headlamps can become foggy or yellow with age and can reduce visibility. Headlamp refinishing is a special process of “clearing up” the plastic. This allows the light to shine through the headlamp cleaner and can help improve visibility. MasterLube offers this service at our 8th & Broadwater Hand Car Wash location and at the MasterLube Glass Doctor downtown.

WINDSHIELD
You know that little rock chip you have in your windshield? The one you got this summer that, luckily, stayed only about the size of a dime all season? Well without having that chip properly filled before freezing weather, it could easily turn into a large crack. Dan Zier, a Master Auto Glass Technician at MasterLube’s Glass Doctor, says that water can get into windshield chips and freeze during cold temperatures – causing them to spread. It’s important to get rock chips repaired as soon as possible in any season. But winters here in Billings have temperature cycles that are so drastic that they can wreak significant havoc on a damaged windshield. If you absolutely have to wait a few days to get your chip repaired, Zier suggests turning on your car’s windshield defrost as soon as you start your car instead of waiting for the car to warm up and then turning the button on. “If you let the defrost warm up along with the car, its far better than having warm air suddenly hit a cold windshield,” he says. Windshield chips can be repaired at any MasterLube location and windshield replacement is offered at MasterLube’s Glass Doctor downtown or by our mobile service.