Seeing snow flurries falling yesterday made me smile and panic at the same time. Over the weekend I have been seeing people that are decorated for the holidays already and the flurries reminded me that putting lights up at plus 5 is so much nicer than at minus 20.
The panic came into play when I remembered how I have nothing ready for winter when it comes to my vehicle. I found some winter tires for my truck, but that is about it.
The check list is pretty basic for winter vehicle prep. Make sure you have traction, enough fluids and the type that will stay liquid in low temperatures and remember that as things get cold, any problems will likely get worse so better fix the issues.
The other thing that I am a stickler on when it comes to winter preparation and vehicles is undercoating. I have grown up around antiques and I know how sad it is when the “Rusties” take over like the old commercial used to say.
For everyday drivers my vehicles have never been pretty, but I try to keep them solid. I have always undercoated what I drive with something. Oil put on with a paint brush in the old days, haha. The stuff that is commonly used today smells kinda soapy.
Now when it comes to undercoating, everyone has different ideas of what makes the perfect protectant and how often it should be applied. Personally I am a once a year undercoat guy, but there are various opinions on that too.
Tips on rust-proofing your car
I will wrap this up with the reminder that winter officially starts in 5 weeks, but likely the winter weather will not hold off that long, so it’s a good idea to get things in order for winter driving sooner than later.
Here is the classic undercoat commercial I remember from forever ago, enjoy.