How to prepare your car for the winter

Check your tread. How long has it been since you replaced your tires? Black ice, snow and slush all make driving in winter dangerous. If you don't have good tread on your tires you could be risking some serious slippery situations. You might even want to consider getting snow or all-season tires for your car.

Before you turn on your windshield wipers, un-stick them from the windshield. It can be pretty harmful to the motor of your blades if you don't. You'd be risking a replacement which is much more expensive than just getting new wiper blades.

Batteries only have a six year life expectancy. Hot and cold wears down your battery. A new battery could be a smart purchase this winter.

 Keep an eye on your belts. Popping the hood on your car could save you a lot of time, and money. The colder your belt, the more likely it will break.

 Keep gas in your tank. The less gas in your tank, the more likely it is to freeze. Keeping your tank more than ¼ full will prevent this problem.

 Check, change and refill your fluids. Do you know how many different types of fluids your car has? To successfully winterize your car you're going to need to look at all the fluids. These include transmission, power steering and break fluids. Not to mention your oil, coolant, antifreeze and windshield wiper fluids.

Stock up on simple solutions. Having an ice scraper, a bottle of window deicer, lock deicers and a small shovel ready in your trunk can save you some time getting to class. Especially on those mornings that you find your car buried in a few feet of snow.

 Be prepared for winter accidents or simply getting stuck. Better safe than sorry. This saying is especially true when driving in the ice and snow. Have your spare tire (with air in it), jacks, lug wrench, jumper cables and a few quarts of necessary fluids. A first aid kit and flares are always good in case of a white-out or any sort of danger that you need to warn oncoming cars about.

 Get an emergency kit. The kit should include gloves, hats and blankets during the colder months. A first aid kit is also a must-have in the winter. Also, have a flashlight in your car. You never know what time of day an accident may occur.

 If in doubt, get your car to the shop for a tune-up. Having a mechanic look at your car is always a good idea. While some may be do-it-yourself-types, others may wind up only doing damage to their cars in an attempt to solve problems. If you're looking for local service, Ron's McKinley Marathon on the corner of Ironwood and McKinley is close by. They even service the IUSB security cars. Several auto parts stores are also located close to IU South Bend for all your supply needs.