Driving in the winter time is no one’s favorite thing to do. Snow, ice, freezing rain, these are just some of the things that create a driving frenzy. There are ways though to make sure that this winter doesn’t get the best of you or your car.
Here are some tips and tricks to use this winter to help you save some time and stay safe.
- If you aren’t one of the lucky ones with an automatic start and you have to spend time defogging your windshield and other windows, try this trick. Spray a thin layer of shaving cream on to the inside of any window you wish to defog, wipe clean and your windows will not fog up on your ride into work. Shaving cream has the same active ingredients as defoggers, so instead of sitting in your driveway watching your car slowly clear up, try this trick to save time.
- Trying to scrape ice or snow off of side mirrors can be tricky. More often than not, you’re left with a thin layer of ice which makes it hard to navigate the roads. Try wrapping the mirrors in small plastic bags, this way after a snow or ice storm all you have to do is rip the bags off and boom!...perfectly clear mirrors.
- One of the worst things that can happen is when your car locks freeze. Unless you have the handy tool that blows hot air into the lock to break up the ice, you’ll find yourself in a jam. Try coating your key in hand sanitizer, the alcohol in the sanitizer will melt any of the ice that’s in the lock’s tumbler allowing your keys to work properly. You can find small hand sanitizers at any major department store. Keep one on your key ring for quick fixes.
- The majority of us can tell when a snow/ice storm is coming, and this isn’t by watching the news. We’ve all seen our neighbors prop up their wiper blades to prevent them from sticking to the windshield. This is a great idea. But what happens when ice sticks to the wipers that are propped up? Take it a step further and wrap the wipers in cloth or even a plastic bag. (Just like your side mirrors.) This way, the wipers are not only not stuck to your windshield, but they’re also not covered in ice.
- One of the bigger items that should be checked, especially in cold weather, are your tires. Tires not only need to have good pressure but they also need traction. When driving in snow and on ice, it’s important to be able to grip the road as much as you can. All you have to do to check the traction is place a penny into one of the grooves of the tire and if Lincolns head disappears, your tires are good. But if he doesn’t, then you should consider getting winter tires for better traction. (ArborMotion not only puts on winter tires, but we can also store your summer tires too.)
- Not only do locks freeze, but so do doors. Instead of playing tug of war with them when you’re trying to hurry off to work, try spraying some cooking spray onto the rubber edges of the doors. Wipe them clean and in the morning your door will open nice and easy.
- Finally, if you ever get into a situation where your entire car is stuck in snow or ice, keep kitty litter in your trunk. When stuck, throw some kitty litter around the tires that are stuck as this will give your tires traction. If you don’t want to use kitty litter, put down your floor mats, these work just the same!
Specialists for Foreign Car Repair in Ann Arbor
Hopefully some of these tips and tricks will prevent some major and minor disasters this winter. If you have any questions about your car or want to
schedule service, call or stop by ArborMotion. We’re more than happy to give all of our customers help this winter when it comes to making sure that your driving journey is a safe one.
