How to prepare your car for winter

CHARLOTTE — Winter is around the corner, and Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke is here to help you protect your car from the weather.

Stoogenke met with a mechanic at Goodyear to learn how to can winterize your ride.

“Who thinks about that until it’s time to get that salt off of your windshield?” mechanic David Sheehan said.

Here are Jason’s 9 easy and affordable ways to winterize your car.

1. Check your tires.

Make sure they have enough tread and the right tire pressure. Not sure what the right amount is? There’s a sticker inside the driver’s door.

2. Check your wiper blades.

“They suggest that you replace them twice a year when time changes,” Goodyear mechanic David Sheehan said.

3. Check your wiper fluid.

“Who thinks about that until it’s time to get that salt off of your windshield? So making sure that this is topped off,” Sheehan said.

4. Keep the gas tank at least half full.

That way, moisture doesn’t build up and freeze, blocking your fuel lines.

5. Check your battery.

“If it’s 3 to 4 years old, I suggest getting it checked. and any of these auto parts stores, they all do it … a free check for you,” Sheehan said.

6. Check your oil.

Make sure you use the kind the manual says to use. Yes, it matters. And it’s a small price to pay to avoid big ones later.

7. Check the coolant hoses in the engine.

“What you want to do is feel them and make sure they’re not very hard or brittle or too soft. Two soft means they’ve been on there a long time,” Sheehan said.

8. Take a look at your coolant as well.

There is a tool that you can test the coolant with, to see how cold your car can handle. Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke checked: it costs about $4.

9. Check your brakes.

Just make sure they’re working well, not just for you, but those around you.

And, if you want to be totally ready, stash these items for an emergency in your car:

• Blankets
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• Ice scraper
• Jumper cables
• Phone charger
• Snacks
• Water

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