INFORMATION ON:Getting your car ready for winterWhat � uids are bestUseful tools to carry

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Whether you like it or not, November is here, harkening the return

of Old Man Winter as the trees get bare and the days ever shorter. Yes, this means once again having to prepare your car or light truck for the cold season.

Luckily for us, today’s vehicles are better built than ever. They are also much more reliable. Unluckily for us, that is exactly why few motorists really take the time to properly maintain their cars and trucks. In the best cases, owners simply drop the vehicle off at the garage and let the staff there prepare the car for winter. In the worst cases, owners just ignore the whole issue until a little red warning light starts blinking on the dashboard controls.

Not everybody owns a late model car or has the means to entrust their vehicle to a dealer. That is where your local mechanic will be able to help you out by verifying all the fluids in the vehicle, checking some of the mechanical and electrical points that need to be serviced, and installing

winter tires. More and more Canadian drivers are getting the picture that winter tires are a necessity for cold-weather driving. A car owner can also do his or her own part in preparing their vehicle by washing and preparing the body with a good wax job and putting a little oil on some body parts here and there. Those who plan to keep their vehicle for the long haul will have its underbody and structure treated with a rust inhibitor. Don’t doubt it for a second: caring for your vehicle before winter is the best way to make it last.

Winter is hard on cars in Canada. Take good care of them and prepare them for the cold.

Time to prepare your car for winter

No matter where you live in Canada, there is always a cold winter season. That means that

just about everywhere in our country, there are more difficult driving situations during those cold months. And contrary to popular belief, winter tires are not strictly designed for snow: they are also made for icy roads and even cold pavement. That is why most automotive experts will suggest winter tires for your vehicle no matter where you live. In fact, designated routes in British Columbia require that vehicles are either equipped with winter tires or carry chains from October 1 to April 30.

You might think that those all-season tires on your car or truck will do the job. That might be the case, but remember that the

moment the mercury falls below 7 degrees Celsius, the rubber used on all-season tires becomes harder. At that point, the tire does not perform as it was designed to. Its footprint is not as solid, and its sipes and blocks (grooves and tread characteristics) that interact with the road surface are not as efficient.

Winter tires, on the other hand, are made of rubber formulas that keep them softer and more flexible, even in very cold weather. They have a larger and more efficient footprint on cold pavement. So, even if you live and drive in an area of the country where the roads are typically void of snow or ice, it is still best to use winter tires. In fact, the best name for them would be “cold-weather tires”!

12 THE FREE PRESS Thursday, November 15, 2012 www.thefreepress.ca

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Useful tools to carry in your car in winter

Though most experts will tell you to keep the trunk of your car as empty as possible for optimal fuel economy, there

are nevertheless some useful tools you should keep in the vehicle in case of an emergency. The first one is a small blanket that could come in handy should you be stuck in a snowstorm and wanting to save fuel. The foil survival blankets you can purchase at a hardware store are perfect for this, as they are very lightweight and fold up small. A candle and some matches or a lighter would also be useful in such a case. Then there is the unavoidable shovel: you could always buy a small light shovel at any major store selling car maintenance products. At the same time, why not choose a set of those tough plastic traction bars that could help you get unstuck in deep snow. And if your car is older, it might be wise to keep a set of jumper cables in the trunk.Here is a smart object to keep in your trunk: a half-metre-squared piece of flat wood, such as plywood (but not pressed wood!). Why? Because it makes a solid base on the ground in case you have to use the jack to change a tire. Jacks have a tendency to sink in the snow or slip on ice. A flat wooden base will assure a steady, solid surface. One thing you should never keep in your vehicle is de-icing salt. Any leak from the bag and the contents would rust away that part of the car.

As winter closes in, we start asking ourselves how to prepare our vehicles for the upcoming cold

season. We pay good money for the best cars and yet we can feel so helpless in front of Mother Nature and the wear and tear she can take on a car or light truck.

Other than putting on winter tires, one of the most important things to look at is the fluid levels of the engine and the many technical accessories in the engine compartment. One of these is the radiator

antifreeze. If your car or light truck is new, don’t worry: the automaker will have filled your radiator with one of the best all-season fluids. But if your vehicle is a few years old, it would be wise to have the antifreeze level checked as well as the density of the liquid itself.

There was a time when many motorists were very handy in maintaining their own vehicles. Just about everybody had on hand the proper tools to check most parts of their cars or trucks. But nowadays, people buy vehicles and do not expect to have to maintain them as they did in the past. That is understandable, since most new vehicles are so well built, and they do not require such care when they are new.

Yet, as vehicles get older, they do need

more attention. For them, the fall season is the right time to give them what they require. If you do not want to run into problems in winter, be sure to check that antifreeze and other engine fluids. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to do it, go see your local mechanic or local dealership. They will do it for you!

What fluids are best for winter?

THE FREE PRESS Thursday, November 15, 2012 13www.thefreepress.ca