In Ohio, winter comes at us fast, so to help make it easier, here are five tips to help you prepare your car and you to survive the winter:
Check Wiper Blades
Between sudden snow storms and all of the road salt that can accumulate on your windshield, good visibility can be especially hard during the winter months. That's why it is important to start your car's winter inspection by making sure you have good wipers and plenty of windshield wiper fluid.
Check Tires
The next thing to inspect are your tires. This includes checking the tire pressure and how much tread they have left. If they are low on tread, it is recommended that you replace them as soon as possible.
Keeping them properly inflated is also important. When it gets cold, tires lose about 1lb per square inch when the temperature drops by 10 degrees.
Having good tires helps with maintaining good traction and will keep you on the road.
Prepare an Emergency Kit
It is important that you prepare an emergency kit. This kit should include include various items such as blankets, food, jumper cables, water, radio, flashlight, gloves, hats, boots, road flares, and some type of material that helps get traction like kitty litter or sand. This emergency kit will prove to be important in the event that you ever get stranded and have to wait for help to arrive.
Keep your gas tank full
Always keep your gas at least at ¼ full in the winter months. This is recommended by experts because if it gets below that, water could end up going into the gas which would allow it to freeze and then possible burst. Some experts even recommend having ½ tank so that you will have enough fuel to use for heat if you ever do get stranded.
Get a tune up
The last recommendation is that you make sure to get a tune up. Experts recommend that you get a tune up every 30,000 miles. If that tune up ends up falling during the winter months, you might want to go in a little early so you make sure everything is ready to go before things get icy. Have the mechanic check brakes, belts, hoses, ignition, and filters, in addition to getting your oil changed and other fluids replenished.
About Hocking College's Auto Program
Whether you’re interested in repairing commuter cars, servicing commercial diesel trucks or building the next generation’s fastest race car, the education and training you’ll receive from Hocking will literally put you on the fast track to success.
Hocking College offers an Associate of Applied Science in Automotive Technology degree that can help you break into this thriving industry. Here are some of the benefits of getting an associate degree in auto technology:
- Qualified auto technicians are constantly in high demand
- Constant changes in this industry means you’ll always be learning something new
- You’ll be able to form long-lasting relationships with both clients and co-workers
- Experienced auto technicians have the option to go into business for themselves
- Auto technicians make a median pay of $35,000
- The growth rate in this industry indicates that by 2024 there will be 776,885 auto technician positions available and waiting to be filled
About the Author
This blog was written by Dakota Crist, a student intern in the Marketing Office at Hocking College. Dakota is in the Animal Assisted Therapy - Canine program and hopes to either open his own boarding facility in the Hocking Hills, or work as an investigator for the Humane Society.
