Protect Your Car, Protect Your Finances

Posted on November 4th, 2024

With winter not far away, there’s more than just the holidays to be worried about. While the season can be beautiful, the weather can wreak havoc on your car and rack up a huge bill to fix the damage. To save yourself a headache (and money), there’s a few things you can do ahead of time to prepare your car for winter. 

Protect Your Tires

The first thing to do is check your tire quality and air pressure. It’s important to ensure you have at least 4/32-inch tread depth for colder weather. Check your tire pressure as well, as weather changes can cause it to drop, wearing tires down quicker and putting you at a higher risk of a blowout. 

It’s also worth getting yourself a set of winter tires. Even if you have AWD tires, in the winter the tread can become hard as a rock, which doesn’t help you avoid sliding. Winter tires are built specifically to provide better grip on the road. 

Check Your Fluids

With winter comes freezing temperatures, which can mean that the fluid levels in your car could be at risk, and therefore the health of your vehicle. It’s a good idea that before the temperatures get to their freezing points, you check the coolant, brake, power steering, and windshield wiper fluids. It’s especially important with your coolant, as it controls the heat in your car, which you’ll need to defrost your windshield for visibility. 

Expect the Unexpected

Even if you’ve checked all your fluids, checked your tires and the air pressure, anything can happen. That’s why it’s a great idea to put together a “Winter Emergency Kit,” to keep in your car that contains the following: basic first-aid kit, jumper cables, flashlight, brush and scraper, blanket, extra gloves and hat, and small shovel. These will come in handy if you find yourself in a roadside emergency in the winter. 

Winter has a lot of things to look forward to – hot apple cider, holidays spent with the family, and fun parties to end the year with a bang. However, the weather can cause a lot of damage to your car if you aren’t properly prepared. Save yourself the hassle and make sure that your car is ready for winter before those freezing temperatures really hit. 

If you’re still on the hunt for a new vehicle to last you through the winter, or you know that this might be your car’s last with you, rest assured that there are a variety of loan options at NuMark for you to get the car you want at a price that your budget can manage. You can also give us a call at 815-729-3211.