Everyone is looking for ways to save money. One of the ways that you can save money is by taking better care of your automobile. After buying a home, purchasing a car is the second most expensive purchase that you will ever make. Let’s take a look at a few ways that you can save some cash during the winter driving season. The following is a guest post from Money Super Market.
It’s that dreaded time of year again, where many of us will have to wipe the snow and scrape the ice from our vehicles before we can drive to work in the morning. Then when we finally manage to get on the roads, the driving conditions can be incredibly dangerous. In these conditions it’s important to be ready in case of any emergencies.
The weather is so incredibly difficult to predict that even the weather channels can get it wrong. It is essential that you are well prepared at this time of year. Making a couple of wrong decisions during the winter season can have a negative effect on your vehicle and your wallet. As you well know, vehicle repairs are not cheap! Follow a few simple steps to ensure your vehicle doesn’t get caught out in the cold:
Cover your vehicle
When the weather is at its coldest, a cover can help to shield your vehicle when it’s stationary. I’m sure that you can buy car top covers online and they can basically help to prevent your car windows from freezing over. They also give your car a layer of protection from the snow.
De-icing your windows
If you don’t have a vehicle cover and your windshield does freeze over, then it’s important to de-ice your windows the correct way. I’ve seen people in the past simply throw warm water over their windscreen, however by doing this; you run the risk of cracking your windows, which will in turn come with a hefty bill.
If you do crack your windows then you need to make an insurance claim. This will have a negative effect on your car insurance rates resulting in an increase in price. On the other side of the coin, cold water can also have a negative effect as it will just simply refreeze once your vehicle is parked again. If you want to defrost your windows the correct way, I would recommend buying de-icer from a local supermarket or gas station for only a few dollars, you won’t have to worry about the risk of cracking your windows.
Check on the current state of your tires
When driving in snowy and icy conditions, your tires are probably the most important part of your vehicle. If you haven’t checked your tires to make sure that they are in the proper state to cope with the conditions, then you are asking for trouble. This can result in you having to replace your tires costing you a lot of money.
Before setting off on any long journeys in the winter weather, make sure that your tires are fully inflated. This will help the vehicle to cope with the adverse weather conditions. You should also ensure that your tires have a minimum tread of at least 3mm. The tire tread is the rubber around the circumference that makes contact with the road as you drive. The older your tires are, the more worn your tire thread become. This can seriously limit effectiveness of your tires. The combination of a worn tire with cold and icy roads is a recipe for disaster.
A few final tips
Spray your door locks with WD-40 to keep them from freezing up on particularly cold days.
Don’t overuse your vehicle battery as it will run down a lot quicker than in warmer driving conditions.
I hope these above tips will help keep you safe when driving in the winter months and save you some money in the process.
Don’t Let Your Vehicle Get Caught Out In The Cold! is a post from:
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