As anyone will tell you, cold weather can be rough on your vehicle. For this reason, winterizing your car is a great idea, and it allows you to have peace of mind when you’re on the road. Below are some of our favorite cold weather auto maintenance tips:

Have your car’s battery and charging system checked thoroughly before the temperature drops. Cold weather can be especially tough on your battery.
Clean, flush, and put new antifreeze in the cooling system. A good rule to remember is that this step should be done every two years.
Make sure all of your heating equipment, such as heaters, defrosters, and windshield wipers, are working properly. Be sure to check your tire pressure weekly, and also consider special tires with grips, if your area is particularly snowy or icy.
Check your tire treads. An easy way to check the tread on your tires is to hold a penny in the tread of one of your tires. If you can see Lincoln’s face and head, then the tread on your tires is too low and they need to be replaced.
Be diligent about having your oil changed and keep your routine maintenance appointments scheduled. Particularly in the winter, dirty oil can lead to big problems.
If you are due for a tune up, then be sure to have it done before winter sets in. Cold and blustery winter weather tends to aggravate and acerbate problems such as hard starts, pinging, and rough idling.
Have your brakes checked. We can’t stress this one enough. The braking system is, hands down, the most important safety feature in your vehicle.
Have the exhaust system checked for any leaks, and check to see that all of the vehicle lights are aimed working properly.
Be diligent about changing the oil and filter at recommended intervals. So called “dirty oil” can really wreak havoc on a car’s engine, particularly in the winter.
You should always keep the gas tank at least half full at all times, in order to help prevent moisture forming in the gas lines and then freezing.
Build and stock an emergency preparedness kit to keep in your car, including an ice scraper, snowbrush, jumper cables, flashlights, blankets, and bottled water.
Don’t forget about your pets! If you are stranded in the cold, don’t forget about your furry family members. Be sure you have water stocked for your pets, as well as a supply of food.

How to Keep Your Car Safe This Winter

As Rich White, the executive director of Car Care Council, wisely said, “The last thing any driver needs is a vehicle that breaks down in cold, harsh winter weather. A vehicle check before the temperatures drop is a sensible way to avoid the inconvenience of being stranded out in the cold and with the unexpected expense of emergency repairs.” If you do find yourself stranded out in the cold, however, rest assured that our team at Best Roadside Service is standing by to give you the help that you need. And with an average 34-minute response time nationwide, you can trust that help will be arriving quickly.

Best Roadside Services is an American owned and operated company, and we operate on the vision of providing our members with the very best emergency roadside assistance – and at competitive prices. Our service administrator has been in business for over 50 years, and has tended to the needs of over 15 million members.

We cover individual vehicles, individual drivers, and a variety of vehicle types, including motorcycles. We can also cover entire fleets of commercial vehicles or trucks. At Best Roadside Service, we pride ourselves on a few principals: fast response time, customer satisfaction and service, and offering benefits and services that are relevant to our members.

To learn more about cold weather auto maintenance tips or our list of services, or to sign up to become a member, please feel free to contact a member of our team directly. We are here to help and answer any of your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All of our calls are answered right here in America, and you’ll never get a voicemail recording. Browse through our website and be sure to check out our blog. We look forward to hearing from you!