Prepping your vehicle for winter: Essential tips for Idaho drivers
Maile Sipraseuth
IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO (KIFI) — With the Idaho winter months rapidly approaching, local auto experts are sounding the alarm: now is the critical time to prepare your vehicle for safe driving. Procrastinating on car maintenance can lead to dangerous situations and costly roadside breakdowns once the snow and ice arrive.
Local News 8 spoke with Matthew Conde of AAA of Idaho, who emphasized that drivers should be proactive, starting with a basic but often neglected item: windshield wipers.
“A lot of us haven’t been using our windshield wipers very much lately, so now’s a good time to maybe think about replacing those wiper blades if they’re skipping or streaking or just not doing the job anymore,” Conde said.
Conde adds that preparation begins where your car meets the road: the tires. Worn treads drastically reduce traction on slick surfaces, yet many drivers postpone replacement until the first snowfall.
Conde highlighted an easy way to check a tire’s lifespan. “One of the best ways you can go about it is the quarter test, and you stick a quarter in the main track of that tire, and if you can see the top of George Washington’s head, it’s time to think about replacing those tires,” he advised. AAA recommends tire tread depth be at least 4/32″ for adequate traction in winter weather.
One of the best methods to prepare your car is to start from the ground up. After you get your tires replaced, check your fluids. Conde recommends switching to a washer fluid that has antifreeze-type properties to prevent freezing. He also urged motorists to address any existing mechanical problems.
“If you’ve been neglecting that drip in the driveway, it’s like going to the dentist’s office,” Conde said. “No one wants to face those mechanical issues, but dealing with them now, while the weather is still pretty good, is probably your better solution than finding something out on the side of the road somewhere.”
Upkeep is also important for maintaining your car, especially cleanliness. Juan Gonzalez, owner of All Season Detailing, notes that constant exposure to road salt and de-icing chemicals is one of the biggest threats to a vehicle’s longevity.
“One of the biggest concerns from customers right now is how they maintain the vehicle or how do they prepare the vehicle for the wintertime from all the salt and contaminants they get into the vehicles,” said Gonzalez. “
“Something else that gets neglected quite a bit is carwashes,” adds Conde. “Getting that undercarriage washed out, you can prevent any buildup of corrosive stuff, any gunk or debris that might damage brake lines or get up in the brakes themselves. Things like that damage your brake lines or in the brakes themselves. Things like that damage your muffler, so periodically washing all that gunk out of there is a really good idea.”
Gonzalez and Conde both said the same thing when it comes to getting rid of ice on your windshield: Use an ice scraper and never use hot water.
“One of the things that can happen there is called thermal shock. And you can actually crack the windshield doing that,” Conde said.
In terms of safety, AAA recommends keeping an emergency bag in your vehicle that includes a first aid kit, a flashlight, snacks and a blanket in case you get stranded.