5 Ways to Prevent Costly Ice-Induced Car Damage

by Robert, Cars for Keeps Technician

The cold weather is upon us. The cold wreaks all kinds of havoc on vehicles. Any problems that you may have had in the warmer months seem to be multiplied by the cold. What are some basic things you can do to protect your vehicle?

1) Marjorie talked earlier about washing away the salt that accumulates from roads. This is great preventative maintenance. It can help minimize any rust from the salt that may form. Not only on the body of the vehicle, but many other parts such as your brake lines or fuel lines.

2) Drive slower. This one should be a no brainer. Driving slower can reduce your chances of being caught in a ditch or worse in an accident.

3) You should also drive slower when your cars engine is cold. This will prevent any premature damage internally to the engine. Many people do not realize the other fluids in your vehicle are also cold, such as transmission fluid, power steering fluid and differential fluids. So avoid high revving your engine and fast cornering until you have at least some drive time to warm those up too.

4) Turn off all accessories when you shut your vehicle off. This includes your lights, blower motor, wiper blades, ect. These extra accessories are not needed when you start your vehicle for the first time and only add an extra draw on your battery when starting your vehicle. Only after your vehicle is started should these be turned on. And don't start the wipers until they are no longer frozen to the windshield!

5) Do not force your windows down. Manual windows are, of course, more resilient to this over power windows. When your windows are frozen shut you should not force them down with the window switch. If they do not go down right away they are frozen shut. You should press up on the switch and wait for them to thaw out. You can speed up the process with a de-icer spray. Many of these motors, just like wiper motors, have plastic gears internally and plastic mounts. They are prone to break especially in the winter, often with costly repairs!

With a few basic steps you can minimize any headaches in the winter and enjoy the holiday season. I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year and a Happy Holiday season.

Drive safe and until next time!