Improve Your Car’s Safety on Snow and Ice

By Leslie Silverman

We might have been tricked into thinking winter wouldn’t come to Connecticut this year. Didn’t the October storm seemed to dump a season’s worth of snow on us all? But yes, it’s here, and this morning we awoke to a pretty layer of fresh flakes. In November we wrote about some of the basic winter safety items to keep in your car once inclement weather is imminent (like a shovel, blanket, and sand or kitty litter for emergency traction).

TJ Zongol wants drivers to be prepared for winter's challenges

But Thomas J. (TJ) Zongol, service manager at Hoffman Ford/Saab/Isuzu, encourages drivers to think beyond the obvious in preparing their vehicle for winter performance.

1. Don’t just check your coolant levels. Test its condition, too. “You can have a full coolant system that still won’t protect you from the cold,” TJ warns. “If you haven’t had your car’s coolant flushed out in around two years, it’s a good idea to see if it needs to be done or not. It’s not just leaks and levels you need to assess, but also the actual condition of your coolant. It’s like when you change your oil, but with coolant you can actually test it to see how it’s doing, to make sure it’s still viable in the system,” he explains. While many cars these days use long-life coolant, you can’t assume it can go 100,000 miles without a change. What are the warning signs that coolant might be malfunctioning? “Unfortunately, there really aren’t any,” TJ says. “Warning signs won’t surface until the heater core of the car gets damaged. Coolant also has lubricants in it for the water pump, so that can fail too if the coolant becomes aged.”
2. Test your car’s battery for winterization purposes. The chemical reactions that generate power in the battery slow down in colder weather. Plus, the engine needs more current from the battery to start up in low temperatures; so it’s a double whammy on the battery. Have a load test done to see if your battery is up to the task, and check its general condition (corrosion, post and connection conditions, etc.) to stay prepared.
3. Get a “season-appropriate” recommendation on your tread.
   

   Winter is when you need your tread most. Check its depth.

   Have your tires inspected to see where you sit on tread depth, or invest in snow tires depending on the type of vehicle you drive. “Sometimes people have gotten tread evaluations during the better weather months, when the recommendation would be different. You really want to have your tires checked for decent tread for our winter months,” TJ advises. “In inclement weather you just need better traction.”

4. Check and know how to use your 4wd or AWD system.
   

   Don't be embarrassed to ask, "How does 4WD work?"

   “Make sure you know how your 4WD system works, especially if you’re in new car and driving it for the first winter season. It’s not as self-explanatory as it may seem, so never be embarrassed to ask your service advisor to go over its operation,” recommends TJ. While technicians should check the system over to ensure proper fluid levels, drivers also need to know how to switch into 4WD when needed. TJ sums it up with this advice: “It’s so easy to damage your system if you don’t know how it works – and that’s a repair bill you really want to avoid!”