How to prepare your car for the winter season. Preparing your car for winter

Car owners often think about how to properly prepare the car for winter. In order to live the cold season without incidents with the car, it is necessary to properly carry out such preparation and subsequently correctly operate the car in the winter season. We will tell you in more detail about how to carry out this work and properly prepare your car for the winter.

Many car owners do not pay enough attention to preparing their cars for winter. Whereas winter is the hardest time for anyone vehicle. Due to low temperatures, the engine, battery and other components of the car have an increased load, which leads to corrosion or serious damage, the restoration of which will take time and money.

Many experts who are engaged in car repair recommend that this work be carried out without fail. Even if you do not plan to actively operate your car in winter, it still needs to be properly prepared, which will ensure complete trouble-free operation of the vehicle.

First of all, you will need to take care of the availability of high-quality winter tires. In this case, you should not save by buying tires of dubious quality. Be sure to purchase well-established models of studded or non-studded tires. This will allow you to feel confident on icy and snowy roads.

Today at specialized stores you will find a wide selection of such winter tires on cars, jeeps and sports coupes. Non-studded tires are very popular today, which are equally effective on bare asphalt, snowy roads and ice. In each case, the choice will be individual, depending on the brand of the car and the tire sizes recommended for it.

Correct brake preparation

Experts recommend replacing before the onset of cold weather brake pads and check the condition of the disks. Pay attention to the condition of the brake cylinders. If you notice traces of brake fluid on them, this indicates wear on the cuffs. In this case, appropriate maintenance and repair should be carried out. brake system which will allow you to be confident in the safety of your car.

It is on the battery during the operation of the car in the cold season that there is an increased load. It is necessary to check the electrolyte level and battery charge even before the onset of cold weather. A weak and old battery is best replaced with a new battery. Remember that in winter the battery drains quickly, so you should not leave the car for a long time without moving.

Operating a car with a dead battery not only risks leaving you without a car at the most inopportune moment, but also leads to complex car breakdowns, the elimination of which will cost you significantly more than buying a new battery.

Certain difficulties are the preparation of the car body for the winter. It's no secret that in winter road builders use special reagents and salt, which are a serious problem for metal body elements. Without proper preparation, after 1-2 winters, the first traces of rust may appear on the car body. That is why you should properly prepare the car body, which will completely avoid possible problems with corrosion.

The car owner needs to inspect the condition of the body and remove all existing deep scratches and damage to the paintwork to the metal. You can also cover the body panels with mastic or wax. And if possible, we recommend using the so-called liquid glass. This is an expensive protection that allows you to completely solve the problems with corrosion in the winter season. Experts also advise the use of fender liner and mudguards, which helps protect the fenders and doors from through corrosion occurring in the winter season.

Try to wash your car as often as possible in winter, especially pay attention to the bottom of the car. Remember that in cold weather it is forbidden to wash the car with hot water. Therefore, either wash the car yourself, or contact such car washes where they wash cars in winter with cold water.

Such service work must be carried out on a regular basis. Usually, over the course of a year, antifreeze loses its characteristics and does not provide proper engine cooling. It is not difficult to replace antifreeze, so car owners can do this work on their own. Use only quality antifreeze that is suitable for your vehicle.

How to properly operate the car in winter

Many motorists think about whether it is worth warming up the car in the cold season. Most automakers and engine rebuilders note that warming up today modern engines not required. It is only necessary to remember that before the temperature of the oil in the engine reaches the operating temperature, it is necessary to smoothly accelerate the car without increasing the engine speed above 3000 per minute.

In winter, try to operate the car with a full tank. The fact is that in the winter season, water vapor crystallizes in a gas tank with an air gap, which leads to a problem with the gas pump and the entire fuel system. Therefore, frequent refueling should not be neglected. Make it a rule that as soon as half of the gasoline is left in the gas tank, you should definitely fill up the car.

Conclusion

Preparing your car for winter is no big deal. It is only necessary to act according to the algorithm described above, not to save on such a service, which will guarantee the trouble-free operation of your car in the winter season.

The list of systems that need at least inspection is probably known to everyone. Another thing is that not all drivers remember how often you need to change one or another operating fluids. And the concept of "keep the car in order" for them is equivalent to a regular body wash and interior cleaning. This is especially often the sin of people who prefer new, warranty cars, getting rid of them before they reach "mature" age. Nevertheless, the process of preparing for winter - changing tires and filling in "anti-freeze", although this is only a small part of the list of necessary things, of course, is not limited.

The main thing to remember is that the car must be in perfect working order. Moreover, it's not about the global state of the engine, gearbox or suspension. They, just, need to be repaired “after the fact”, when it is really necessary. Preventive replacement is money thrown to the wind. Here are the fluids to change. It is almost impossible to control the degree of their aging. However, they are usually remembered last. Or they don't remember at all.

Oil

Motor oil is one of the main components. This is usually remembered. However, if you don’t know how much you drove after the last replacement or you’re not sure that the servicemen got confused about this at all, and didn’t “fill up the freshness in negro” (as happens even in premium brand centers, whose customers generally prefer not to delve into the essence occurring), the engine should be additionally secured. Let not in the official service and for extra money, but at least under control.

ICE does not like dirt, so the lubricant should be changed at least once a year. Or every 10 thousand kilometers. Alas, this is a given. The twenty-thousandth service interval set by most manufacturers is a fiction in Russian realities. To kill the engine for 100 thousand kilometers is only able to counterfeit, which the officials generally cannot have. Real resource modern oils are twice as high as declared by the company ...

But all this applies to grease supplied in bulk containers (in 200-liter drums), subject to the availability of high-quality and working system filtration and absence of deposits (soot, for example). The quality of the oil in the retailer’s packaging is 1-5 liters (if it’s not a fake), it floats a lot, and given that engine overhaul is not a cheap pleasure, it’s better to overdo it in this matter, as they say.

Do not forget about the human factor, because no one guarantees you that new oil will actually be poured into the car (you simply cannot control the process, because the client’s entrance to the service area of dealer services is closed for safety reasons). No one can guarantee that they will change oil filter, which is an equally important component. The air filter should be changed at all every three to four months, it simply does not last longer in our dust ...

Fuel filter, spark plugs and gauges

Everything here, in general, is extremely simple: the filter - fuel supply, candles - ignition. Simply put, all this one way or another affects the start of the engine. If the water in the filter (and it is most likely there) freezes, the engine will not start even a “completely zero” battery that just arrived from the store.

Old candles will give a similar effect, especially in slushy or frosty weather: too humid air, as well as too cold uniform mixture formation, of course, does not contribute to the matter, which means that, coupled with worn candles, the internal combustion engine will do anything, but not run normally. We'll have to go bow to the servicemen.

However, sometimes there are situations when the diagnosis does not help. In cars of some brands - for example, in BMW - there are "personal" ignition coils. Each of them is responsible for its own cylinder. If it fails, it naturally stops working. The diagnostician in this case "sees" the gaps, but does not "see" the cause. It all ends with the replacement of candles (often quite working), tips (there are some of them), and only then reinstallation of the coils (they, as a rule, are simply swapped). But in any case, all this takes time, as well as the presence of a certain experience for the one who will deal with the machine.

By the way, it will not be superfluous to check the performance of the lambda probes. Moreover, there is nothing complicated in this - most more or less serious servicemen have the necessary programs and diagnostic equipment.

Antifreeze and brake fluid

Working fluids are probably the most painful topic for most modern motorists. Not only Russian. Both antifreeze and "brake" usually live no more than two years. After that, they need to be changed. Specialists from Comma recently conducted a study and found that almost half of the cars in Europe drive with “expired” brake fluid, while about a quarter of car owners move with obviously faulty brakes. But the main thing is that three-quarters of all car owners have no idea that it needs to be changed at all.

However, it is necessary. Otherwise, the brakes may fail at some point. Besides, next time they will work as they should. The main danger of a liquid that has absorbed too much moisture is the permanent manifestation of symptoms. In general, if the time is right - change it. Brakes are no joke in winter...

With antifreeze, in general, too. Being a mixture of ethylene glycol and water, with the addition of additives and dyes, it only works properly when the proportions of the first two components are kept within certain limits. Tellingly, the excess of one or the other leads to a decrease in the boiling point and an increase in the freezing point. In other words, the old antifreeze, where the concentration of water is less than the declared one, boils and freezes before the fresh one. The same thing happens with highly diluted ... In addition, anti-corrosion additives also stop working in the old fluid. In general, if you want to “kill” the motor so that it doesn’t guess - you won’t find a better means.

Tires

And only now, mind you, we move on to tires. Premature "changing shoes" of wheels is a thoughtless waste of money. After driving for only half an hour at a speed of under 100 km / h at a temperature of +10 degrees Celsius, you will in fact uselessly burn 3-5% of the tread. On studless, by the way, tires. The spikes during the same time warm up to 90-100 degrees, melt and fall out. Moreover, if less than half of the spikes are left in your rubber, you can throw it away (or remove the remaining ones), because their location and landing depth are programmed parameters, while the only “surviving” spike “randomly” caught on the ice crust can lead to unpredictable consequences. Even with a fully functional ESP ...

How to avoid it? First, don't skimp. Buying winter / summer tires is a priori not a cheap enterprise, so it would be useful to add to it the purchase of a second set rims. Not necessarily original, but in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer (otherwise the dealer will have the right to void your warranty). This is expensive, but it allows you to seriously save on the resource and further maintenance.

To begin with, it is important to understand that tires do not like to be removed and put back on wheels - they are not structurally designed for this, so buying a second full set of wheels will increase the resource. Second: to “throw” a set of 16-inch tires on “hot” tire fitting days in Moscow today costs 4.5-5 thousand rubles at least. They can handle the “assembled” wheels in any even a garage car service and it will cost a maximum of 1-1.2 thousand, not counting the absence of a mandatory queue. It will be possible to balance them a little later, when the hype subsides.

Many, however, do it easier - they balance both sets at once (as a rule, in the spring) - both the one that is put on the car and the one that is removed for storage. Given that good tires they serve at least 2-3 years (with an average annual mileage of 15-20 thousand kilometers), and discs usually last 5-7 years, buying a second set pays off.

Battery

Since humanity has not yet invented eternal batteries, someday the battery will have to be replaced. And it is better to take care of this in advance. Even if everything was fine in the summer, it is not a fact that everything will be fine in the winter.

Checking the voltage is not a tricky business, especially since the state of the electrolyte in modern maintenance-free batteries cannot be studied anyway. 12-12.5 volts? The battery can be sent to the scrap. As soon as the voltage drops below 12, the car will not start. It's not even the battery itself, but the built-in protection of the onboard system. She perceives such a situation as a malfunction of electrical equipment and protects the machine from a possible short circuit. By the way, one more time to look at the battery (even a relatively new one) should also be to check the condition of the contacts: loose or oxidized terminals will obviously not contribute to a stable winter start.

In principle, with a run-down battery, you can hold on to frost. And if you're lucky, and until spring ... However, you still have to change it. And if this happens far from civilization or in the most severe frosts, the new battery may turn out to be "golden". In any case, it is the car owner who assumes these risks.

Wiper blades and washer fluid

Well, and most importantly - things that they begin to think about when it's already quite late. First comes the turn of the "washer". Is there water in the tank, summer liquid ... It doesn't matter. The important thing is that it freezes already at frost. The funny thing is that the driver, as a rule, discovers this already on the go. The conclusion is clear, isn't it?

The second point is the "wipers". Many simply forget that this is a banal consumable, but remember, smearing the greasy reagent on the windshield. So, they serve no more than a season. Their life, of course, can be extended. By changing, for example, not the brushes themselves, but the rubber bands. But this, as a rule, is not even enough for three months. Moreover, the brush body is also loose. And since we are talking about things that directly affect security, saving here is still not worth it. In the end, no one forces the owner to pay for the "original", since there are plenty of analogues (in most cases) on the market.

Winter is a rather difficult time for a car. After all, it is in winter that the car shows all weak spots. So preparing the car for the onset of cold weather is a mandatory and integral part of its successful operation. Driving instructors It is strongly advised to start preparations in advance in order to be fully armed by the first snow.

Mandatory car check before winter

brakes

If possible, inspect the brake pads, tighten the parking brake cable. If the pads are to be replaced, then pay attention to the cylinders. If there is brake fluid on their surface, then the cuffs are worn out, which means they also need to be replaced.

Brake fluid is changed about once every two years. If you use it longer, it will lose its properties.

electrical equipment

The battery is usually changed every three years. Approach the choice seriously, because due to a poor-quality battery, multiple problems can arise with the movement of your car.

The alternator belt must not be cracked, oily or damaged. Good belt does not squeak while the engine is running. If the listed problems occur, then the belt needs to be replaced.

Be sure to check the spark plugs and replace them if necessary.

What to buy and adjust in the car before winter?

brush with a scraper for glass and body surfaces;
special liquid, which will help to defrost the castle in severe frosts;
floor mats with high sides.

Before you get behind the wheel, be sure to check how the windows blowing and heating systems work, and heating rear window. If necessary, you can replace the wipers or purchase their winter version.

Do not forget to adjust the headlights, replace the fuel filter. Remember that a seasonal car inspection in a car service is a guarantee of your safety on the road!

Body and paintwork

Separately, it should be said about the treatment of the body, for which dirt, slush, ice, snow, road chemicals and constant fluctuations temperatures, represents the real test. It is in winter that corrosion and microcracks appear on the body. Anti-corrosion treatment will save you from this, which will help keep the paintwork and “weak” elements of your car in its original form.

According to experts, new cars with galvanized bodies do not require any treatment. But if your car is of domestic production, or the body is not galvanized, then experts strongly recommend that the arches, bottom and hidden cavities be fully processed. This procedure is best done in a car service, as the technology must be strictly followed.

Before coating the machine with an anti-corrosion compound, all parts must be washed and dried thoroughly. Such treatment will protect your car for several years, so the cost of 6-10 thousand rubles should not scare you. The price here depends on the selected compositions.

To prevent microcracks that often appear on the paintwork, cover the body with special polymer-based fluids. These products create a film on the surface that protects the body from external damage and rust. Do not forget about rubber bands, locks and electric mirrors, which freeze easily during severe frosts. Therefore, process them before the onset of winter.

Conclusion

Based on the foregoing, we can draw the following conclusion: preparing a car for winter is a rather long and difficult procedure. So, to avoid unnecessary difficulties, you need to start it always in advance. After all the necessary procedures, checks and replacements have been completed, the probability of a machine failure is negligible.

Video on how to prepare the car for winter:

Good luck on your journey and take care of your iron horse in advance!

The article used an image from the site zwithar.3dn.ru

We will tell in simple words how to prepare a car for winter and cold weather for dummies and novice motorists. What is necessary for the operation of the car in winter and indicate the minimum winter set of the driver.

Body preparation for winter

It is necessary to inspect the body of the car for corrosion and rust spots. In winter, roads are sprinkled with technical salt, which means that the most vulnerabilities on cars will be 2-3 times stronger "bloom". That is, if there was a small scratch on the car, then in the spring it will turn into a big one, which will be more difficult to eliminate. It is necessary at least to paint over small chips on the paint with a special pencil. It will take no more than 5-10 minutes.

It is advisable to polish the car body using a protective polish before the first cold weather. She will save paintwork from education new rust. Snow will be easier to roll off the body, and you will forget about ice on the car. The body is also treated with liquid glass, which is great for preparing a car for winter and protects against the formation of new scratches.

Battery charger

Before the start of winter, you need to check the condition of the battery (how to do this - follow the link) and, if necessary, recharge it - in the service or with your own hands. If the car battery has served for more than 3 years, then it definitely needs stationary recharging once a year (not from the car's generator). If there is Charger, then before the first cold weather we recharge the battery to full, so that it does not run out in cold weather.

A fully charged battery will easily survive severe frosts at the level of a new battery. It will not be necessary to constantly "light up" from other cars. Before buying a new battery, it is better to try to restore the old one.

Machine engine preparation

You need to remember what kind of oil was poured into the car engine. What is its viscosity class - 15W, 10W, 5W or 0W. Usually, when replacing, a label is glued to the cork with this information. If you went to summer oil(15W, 10W), then we change to winter, regardless of the number of kilometers traveled since the filling. For example, 15W oil starts to thicken at 0 degrees. 10W - at minus ten, but the car can start at lower temperatures.

If not replaced, then in severe frosts there will be problems with starting the engine. If you drive a lot, then in the fall change the oil to winter, and in the spring: to summer. If rare: fill in multipurpose oil with an index of 5W and drive all year round.

Change water to antifreeze

The first thing we look at is the level of antifreeze / antifreeze in expansion tank under the hood of the car. If it is within the level (between min and max) and there were no breakdowns in the heating system, we move on. If the level is lower, then add water is not worth it. She will freeze in the winter in the cold. So we only add antifreeze to the level.

If the engine overheated, the antifreeze boiled and water had to be added, it is better to replace the coolant in the system. Because, no matter how much fresh antifreeze is added to the cooling system, water will remain and will gradually settle in the radiator and pipes in the form of scale. Therefore, the system will work worse.

Before changing the coolant, check the operation of the interior heater. If the engine does not warm up to 90 degrees and the car is cold, most likely the thermostat is not working. His test methods are written in the article - how to determine if the thermostat is working or not.

We buy anti-freeze liquid

With the onset of frost, the water in the washer reservoir cannot be an excuse even for economical drivers. Because driving blindly on poorly lit roads in winter is dangerous. So, we buy an anti-freeze and pour it into the tank.

In large stores, an anti-freeze for a car can cost from 250 to 350 rubles for a 4-liter canister. And with an inscription that helps only up to minus 15 degrees of frost. There is a way to save. Near highways or in private garages, you can find the best winter glass fluid. It's made from illegal methonol, which you shouldn't drink. But you can pour it into the car, and it costs only 100 rubles for a 5-liter bottle.

Before buying, pay attention to the composition of the coolant and choose without ethyl alcohol, what the article will help you figure out: what are odorless anti-freezes made of?

Lubrication of door seals

A sore point of cars in winter is rubber door seals. Often, drivers themselves tear the seals, trying to open the doors in a frozen car. To avoid wasting effort, time and money, wipe the rubber seals with a special silicone lubricant for rubber products.

If the doors are frozen, try not to pour hot water: the iron under the rubber will certainly begin to corrode, and the paintwork of the body will not withstand such a temperature difference and will soon bubble. It is better to use WD-40 or Liquid Key. Be sure to lubricate the glass seals on the doors with silicone grease, because in winter moisture can get there.

We also lubricate the locks of doors, hood, trunk, central locking cylinder of a car. Silicone grease or special auto chemicals in cans are suitable for this.

Winter set of a motorist

Shovel - useful if the car needs to be dug out. The stores have folding shovels for cars that fit in any trunk and do not take up much space.
Wires for "lighting" - in case the battery is completely discharged and you need to light it from another car.
A towing cable - every motorist should have it at any time of the year, and especially in winter. If you get stuck far away, where will they look for a cable to pull the car?
Scraper with a brush - to clean the snow from the car and chip off the ice from the windows. Buying a brush with a built-in scraper or not is a matter of taste and comfort. But if the machine is large, then you need a brush with a telescopic handle.
Water repellent spray WD-40 or special agent for freezing door locks. It is usually difficult to open car doors after severe frosts. In order not to run around the car in the morning, it is better to have a lock defroster and put it on the shelf at home.

By the way, rubber mats with high sides do not allow water to accumulate under the feet of the driver and passengers. They can be quickly cleaned. They will also help if the car is stuck in the snow. You need to put a rubber mat under the slipping wheel. In many cases this helps.

Winter weather is the cause of many car problems, but most breakdowns can be prevented by properly preparing your car for the onset of cold weather. Preparing the car for winter is not particularly difficult. Among other things, you need to add new windshield washer fluid, check tire inflation pressure and refuel full tank fuel. By following these simple precautions, you will be able to drive safely through snow and ice, and your vehicle will be in top working order throughout the winter. For detailed instructions on winterizing your machine, go to Step 1.

Steps

Outdoor preparation

Replace windshield wipers and add fluid. Driving in poor visibility is extremely dangerous (especially in winter), so it is important to keep your windshield wipers working.

Check the inflation pressure of all tires. During the winter months it is very important to maintain correct pressure tires. Flat tires have worst grip with the road, thereby increasing the likelihood of slipping on icy surfaces.

You should be aware that tire pressure is affected by ambient temperature - for each temperature drop of 8 degrees Celsius, tire pressure decreases by about 0.1 bar. Thus, it is very important to monitor the tire pressure in winter.
A tire pressure gauge is used to check pressure. If you don't know the correct pressure for your car, look for a sticker with different settings on the inside edge of the door frame on the driver's side.
If you do not have a pressure gauge, then you can always find one at the nearest gas station, where you can also pump up tires. This service is usually provided free of charge or at a low cost.
When checking tire inflation pressure, be sure to also check tire wear. If replacement or rearrangement is required, it is better to resolve this issue before the onset of cold weather.

Wax the car. A waxed surface repels snow, dirt and salt much better than a non-waxed surface. So you can improve appearance car and protect the paint.

Check headlights. As mentioned above, good visibility is very important, especially on dark winter evenings.
- Not only is it important that you have a good view of the road, it is also necessary that saw you. That is why it is so important to check the performance of the headlights.
- Have someone help you check the operation of all external lights - front and rear lights, reversing and signal lighting (including emergency).
- In winter, daylight hours are shorter and darker, so the load from lighting fixtures on electrical system car will increase significantly. Keep this in mind and check your battery.
Mechanical checks
1. Engine oil change. As winter approaches, check the engine oil and change it if necessary.
  
  Check belts and hoses. In addition to general physical wear and tear, belts and hoses are especially vulnerable in cold weather.
  
  Replace old coolant with frost-resistant coolant. It is extremely important that the engine has the correct ratio of antifreeze and water before the onset of winter cold. Otherwise, the coolant may freeze, causing the engine to overheat and blow the gasket.
2. Check the functionality all-wheel drive. If your vehicle has four wheel drive, this feature is worth checking out, especially if it hasn't been used since the previous winter.
  - Have an experienced mechanic check the four-wheel drive operation, smooth engagement and disengagement, and transmission fluid level.
  - At this stage, you (and the rest of the family) need to remember how the system works, as well as the conditions under which it should be used. Four-wheel drive can improve tire grip on snowy or icy surfaces, thereby reducing the likelihood of getting stuck somewhere.
  - Having all-wheel drive does not mean that you can drive faster or less carefully than usual in adverse weather conditions.
3. Check the battery. It is very important that the battery stays in good working condition before winter - in cold weather it takes longer to generate the necessary power, and more current is required from the battery to start the engine. If your battery is in poor condition, it won't be able to handle these increased demands and you won't be able to start your car.
  - Keep an eye on the age of your batteries - they usually last 3 to 5 years, so you should replace them in a timely manner. A workshop mechanic can perform a load test on the battery to determine if it is worth replacing.
  - Even if replacement is not necessary, at least a cursory visual inspection should be performed to ensure that the pins and connections are not corroded and that the cables are worn.
  - You also need to check the electrolyte level - for this you need to unscrew the caps at the top of the battery. If the liquid level is low, you can add distilled water to it. Be careful not to overfill.
4. Check heater and defroster. The heater and de-icer provide good visibility and driving comfort, so be sure to check their operation.
  - Defroster helps eliminate condensation from the inside windshield with a stream of warm and dry air. In the event of a malfunction, the windows may fog up, visibility will deteriorate significantly. Always check the performance of the de-icer. If the windows continue to fog up, then the tightness of the doors and windows should be checked - along with the air, moisture can penetrate into the passenger compartment.
  - During the cold season, you will surely notice if your heater is not working. It should be repaired as soon as possible. It may be necessary to replace the heating coil - this is not cheap, but in cold conditions, every penny spent will pay off in full.
  - It's not just about your comfort, it's also about safety. The colder the cabin, the lower your ability to drive and focus on the road. A working heater can save your life if you suddenly get stuck on an impassable stretch of road.
Ready at any moment
1. Spare wheel should be correct. During inclement weather, you should always carry a spare tire with you.
  - Periodically check the condition of the spare tire - if you puncture a tire, you are unlikely to be pleased with the unsuitability of the spare wheel!
  - Make sure to always have a working jack, wrenches and wheel stopper in the car. All family members should know where these tools are located.
2. The tank should always be at least half full. If the tank is at least half full, then the likelihood of freezing of the fuel supply pipelines is significantly reduced.
  - This happens when on the walls of an almost empty fuel tank condensation forms, turns into water, flows down and freezes.
  - In addition to preventing the risk of freezing, a half-full tank reduces the chance of getting stuck in the middle of the road when you run out of fuel.
3. Collect an emergency kit and store it in the trunk. Such a kit will be extremely useful in the event of a breakdown when you find yourself in the middle of the road in cold weather.
  - The kit should include the following: boots, gloves, hats, woolen blankets, ice shovel, de-icer, flashlight, salt or cat litter, battery charging cable, first aid kit, flares, containers of coolant and washer fluid, and radio.
  - You can also take non-perishable foods (unsalted nuts in a jar and dried fruits) and a bottle of water. Even if the water freezes, you can thaw it or eat ice to quench your thirst.
  - Also, the car should always have a charger for the phone.
4. Put on winter tires. If in your area there is snow and ice all winter, then during the cold season, instead of summer tires winter tires are required.
  - Winter tires are softer and more flexible than conventional tires, and have a different tread shape to improve grip on snowy or icy surfaces.
  - Alternatively, you can store a set of wheel chains in the boot for driving on snow-covered roads. Such a kit is especially useful in mountainous areas.
  - You can also have a special pad with you - it will help you get out if you get stuck in deep snow drifts.
5. What to do if you get stuck. Despite your best efforts to winterize your car, sometimes the unpredictable can happen and you end up stuck on the road. In this case, you need to know exactly what to do in order not to freeze and stay safe.
  - Firstly, never do not leave the car if you do not know where you are and how far you need to walk to find help. If you don't know your location, turn on the signal lights on the sides of your car to get attention.
  - Try to stay warm by putting on all the clothes you have and covering yourself with all the blankets (woolen is the warmest). If there is gas in the tank, run the heater for ten minutes every hour to keep the cabin warm (if you are sure the fuel line is not clogged).
  - In spite of the cold, one of the windows should be slightly open so that heavy snow or ice does not block you inside.
  - Quench your thirst with water or ice, and to keep your mouth dry, it is recommended to suck on hard candy.
- In snowy winter time, it is recommended to have a container with salt in the trunk. If the wheels get stuck in the snow, then the salt poured in front of them will improve traction.