Dame-It-Yourself: Winterize Your Car

Get your car ready for the big chill

By Gerard Olson
Published: Dec 07, 2007

Sure, there's a Jiffy Lube around the corner and AAA may be a phone call away, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t know what’s going on under the hood of your car before winter hits. Breaking down takes on a whole new significance when there's a possibility of ending up like Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

Make Your Oil Lose Some Weight

After a long, chilly night, your average oil is thick and none too prepared to lubricate your engine properly. Your car's manual should tell you the recommended oil for winter driving. If you're running an oil grade of 10W-30 during the summer, try moving down to 5W-30, a thinner oil. Check out DAME's guide to changing your oil.

You can save some unnecessary wear on your car by letting the engine warm up before driving. Start the car before toasting a last minute bagel.

Your Window to the World Needs New Wipers

The last thing you want is for your windshield wipers to forsake you in a snowstorm. Like anything, they get run down. You best bet is to swap them out.

1) Pull up the wiper arm on your car. Lay a rag on your windshield, just in case the wiper arm decides to snap down against the glass.

2) You may have to use some detective work to figure out how your car’s blades detach. Generally, this will involve pushing or lifting a tab (with your finger or a screwdriver, depending) and jiggling the wiper until it slides off.

3) Attaching the new wipers should be fairly intuitive after you've removed the old ones. It's the same process, only backwards.

4) Lastly, make sure there's windshield washer fluid in your washer reservoir. Plain water is useless below freezing temperatures. Your windshield washer reservoir is under your hood, usually made of plastic and has a small hose connected to your windshield. Open the top and pour the liquid in.

May Your Engine Be Unfrozen

Did you change your antifreeze last winter? Antifreeze ensures that your radiator doesn’t ice over and crack.

1) Drain the radiator, carefully. Antifreeze is all kinds of toxic, despite its resemblance to sno-cone flavoring.

2) Remove your radiator cap. DO NOT open your radiator cap after just using your car. The fluids inside your radiator are highly pressurized when hot and can erupt into a fountain of day-glo toxicity. Wait for it to cool down.

3) Open the drain valve on the bottom of the radiator and catch the used antifreeze in a large bucket. Don't let antifreeze drain onto the ground or into a storm drain. If you do, you just killed a dolphin. When it's empty, close the drain valve.

4) Before refilling the radiator with new antifreeze, flush the system to rid it of sediment. Fill your radiator with water and a flush product such as Prestone Super Flush. Put the radiator cap back on and run your engine with the heater on high. Turn off your car and wait for the engine to cool. Open up the drain valve again and drain the flush product, with the same somber environmental attention that you gave the old antifreeze. Close the drain again and refill the radiator with water. Same drill: run the engine for a bit, allow it to cool, drain the engine, close the drain valve.

5) You want your radiator to have a nice cocktail of half antifreeze and half water. Find the coolant reservoir (plastic tank connected to radiator by a hose) and fill that as well.


Is Your Battery Battered?

The cold can cut a weak battery’s life in half. If you've had your battery for more than three years, you should bring it to any auto garage to have it tested. If it's a newer battery, test it yourself with a battery hydrometer that you can get for $3 at auto parts stores. If the battery looks dirty or corroded, it's a quick but fun clean.

1) Concoct a mixture of four cups water and six tablespoons baking soda.

2) With a screwdriver, disconnect the cables from the battery’s terminals. From this point on, wear some stylish rubber gloves and matching safety goggles. You're playing with acid here, remember.

3) Pour most of your baking soda mixture on top of the battery, making sure to mainly soak the corroded bits. It'll bubble like the lava in a papier mâché volcano.

4) Scrub the terminals with an old toothbrush for a bit. Rinse off the baking soda with water and reconnect the terminals.

Now you're ready to reckon with winter's vicious chill. The more you're willing to put into your car, the more prepared you will be come rain, shine, or furious blizzard.