Winterizing your vehicle in Arkansas & Oklahoma can be different from your average “winterizing” simply because it just doesn’t snow that much. Here, we basically have to do some of the things they do in other parts of the country, but some of them we can get away without. Snow tires & chains, for example, it’s good to have them, but I’ve never had them (and I’ve been so far so good without them).  Other things though are a must when it comes to winterizing your vehicle.

Checking the heater, defroster, belts, hoses, fittings, battery, & 4 wheel drive are important. Most importantly, you seriously want the heater working when you need it! Vehicles break down significantly more during the winter & checking these things before that happens can prevent you the inconvenience of being broken down.

Antifreeze mixture is extremely important during this time of year. According to this MotorTrend article, it’s a fact: Cooling system problems are the number-one cause of engine-related breakdowns. Here’s a video which emphasizes the importance.

If you drive a newer vehicle as I do, you may have already noticed the tire pressure changes which occur during the winter months. I’ve read conflicting articles here & there about making winter adjustments to your tire pressure. The only thing I really know is that there were a few times when it was cold that my tire pressure monitor light came on & when it warmed up it went off. It’s not a problem & is normal. To minimize the issue you can use NitroFill rather than your average run of the mill air.

It’s also an opportune time to change your wipers & refill the fluid mostly because you probably haven’t done that in a while & needed a reminder  and partly because you know you’re going to try to “wiper” off ice even though you know it’s probably a “little too thick”!

Update or add an emergency kit: Flashers, First aid kit, Jumper Cables, Blanket, Paper towels, Ice scraper, Tire gauge, water & some snacks. Also, a deck of cards never hurt. Being broke down is a downer anyway, and being unprepared only makes it worse; especially when it’s cold. (We have emergency kits & first aid kits available in our parts dept.)

You could also get some car mats so you can save your vehicle from all the water and mud which will be tracked in this winter.

These last few years have been snowy and icy, and it’s a fantastic idea to wash off road salt as quickly and often as needed to protect your paint finish & wheels. If you’ve ever been to a colder climate you’ve noticed how horrible a lot of their vehicles look because of the toll salt has taken.  If there’s one thing we can agree on it’s that here in the south we love our cars & we know we look good in ’em!

If you are looking to winterize your vehicle you can always call us at 479-646-8600 or visit HarryRobinson.com to make an appointment online.,

Here’s more handy tips from Jon.

Have a warm day 😉
–C