Car Tips for Extreme Weather

You can’t escape extreme weather when you’re living in the Midwest. Seasons never change easily, so what you’re left with is sweltering summers, rainy springs, and brisk, sometimes even snow-filled, falls and winters. Unfortunately, any season can wreak havoc on your car. How can you prepare?

1. Check your tires! Whether it’s summer or winter, make sure your tires have tread. All it takes is one storm for you to hydroplane or one cold, rainy day for your tires to slip on ice. Prepare your tires for the worst of any season.

2. Warm your car up! Many people have auto start. This comes in handy during the cold winter months. You never want to drive on a cold engine because it can, and will, cause a domino effect of problems for your vehicle. So, be sure to give yourself a little more time in the morning to warm your car up.

3. Replace old batteries, and refill low oil or windshield wiper fluid! In the summer time battery fluid can evaporate in extreme heat and in the winter it can freeze. Be sure to replace any old, rusted or troublesome batteries before the temperatures become too erratic.

4. Jumper cables and tools! Enough said! Even newer cars can fail to start. Keep jumper cables and a small set of tools in case this should happen and don’t assume that if you break down someone else will come to your rescue.

5. Have an emergency kit! These are essential because you never know where or when you’ll break down, and how long it’ll take for someone to get there. Include water, snacks (ideally, snacks that have a long expiration date), a blanket, batteries, a flashlight, Band-Aids and a map.

6. Make sure your phone is charged! In case of an emergency, phones will always come in handy.

7. Most important: MAKE SURE YOU’RE INSURED! You can be as prepared as possible, but if you don’t have car insurance you’re already under-prepared. Should an accident occur, whether it’s damage to your car, damage to another car or both, your insurance company is there to help you navigate through the stressful process.

Winter, spring, summer or fall, make sure you and your car are as prepared as you can be for any extreme weather. It may help to have a checklist that you go through regularly. But, at the end of the day, make sure you’re insured. As they say in grade school, “Safety first!”