Cars endure new obstacles as the weather cools and dawns become darker. However, if you take a little extra care during the winter months, you can keep your car in better condition and reduce the stress of your daily drives.

Don’t underestimate the importance of where you park your vehicle. Parking in a garage or a covered parking space during winter can help safeguard the body of your car from frost and ice, as well as road salt, which over time can lead to corrosion of the bodywork.

The slides give useful tips to help prevent getting stuck in the snow. For example, instead of spending time in the morning scraping at the snow on your windshield, you can put a cover on it to protect it from the ice. In addition, if you angle your windshield wipers on the snow, then they won’t get stuck in the snow and freezing position.

De-icing your car the right way is essential! Though pouring warm water on your frozen windshield may seem like it would quickly fix the problem, it can actually crack the glass from the drastic temperature shift. Using a de-icer spray along with the car’s heating system is a far safer method.

Even if it feels pointless, increasing the number of times you wash your car in winter can help prevent your car from developing rust spots. This is primarily because road salt, used to melt snow on the road, actually promotes rust development on the exposed metal surfaces of your vehicle. If you don’t wash the road salt off the car’s exterior and the insides of wheels, road salt will cause rust to develop.

Lastly, a battery that is nearing the end of its life will find it much more difficult to start the vehicle on a freezing morning. As for your tyres, their grip will be reduced by the cold, wet or icy conditions, and will work harder in the colder weather. Also, be mindful of how cold weather will affect your battery and tyres as they will be working harder in the colder temperatures.

Small changes to your routine can help keep your vehicle looking great and running smoothly until spring.