Fall Means Time to Prepare You and Your Vehicle for Winter

HELENA, MONT. 9/16/08-Motorists who prepare now for the onset of colder weather will increase their safety during the winter-driving season, says AAA.

"It's easy to help safeguard against a breakdown," said Jeff Wulf, AAA Automotive Service Manager.  "By having a professional take a quick look at fluids and fluid levels, belts and hoses, tires and more, minor problems can be identified that if fixed help prevent major problems down the road."

Items that need to be inspected on any vehicle include fluid levels, tires, windshield wipers, batteries, brakes, lights, belts and hoses.

AAA also reminds motorists that although today’s vehicles are more reliable then those made years ago, some things never change.  Frost still forms on the windshield.  Door locks ice up, batteries run down and seats seem to take forever to get warm.  The temperature doesn’t need to drop very far for some of us to feel a sense of inconvenience and discomfort in our driveway.  While drivers can’t do anything about the weather, they can alter their morning routines in ways that make winter car trips less numbing, AAA says.

“Sometimes coping with all the minor difficulties of getting our vehicles going in cold weather can lead to unsafe driving practices,” said Wulf.  “Driving with windows not fully cleared of ice or snow, struggling to peer through still foggy windshields, or hoping the battery won’t die after it has been jump started, are less than ideal conditions for a morning commute,” he said.

To help motorists cope with their cold cars, AAA offers the following advice:

• Use your garage if you have one.  Park the family vehicle outside during the summer if you must, but have a garage sale and then pull the car inside if possible this winter.

• If you must park outside, check your vehicle first thing in the morning.  Are the windows covered with frost?  Is it possible the door locks are iced over?  Will you need some extra time to get underway this morning?

• If the door locks are frozen, fill a container with lukewarm water and pour it on the lock.  This should melt the ice away enough for you to insert a key and unlock the door.  Don’t try to chip the ice away with your key as this may damage the key and your car’s finish.  (And, never pour hot water on windows. They may crack.)

• If the car is covered with snow, use a brush and not your hands to get it off.  Don’t worry about clearing frost or ice from the windows yet.

• Start the car, making sure the transmission is in park and the brake is set.  If the vehicle is inside, open the garage door so carbon monoxide doesn’t build up in the garage.  Switch the heater to the defrost setting.  Turn on the rear window defroster, if you have one.  Go back inside and have a hot beverage, or do something else for five minutes while the vehicle begins to warm up and does most of the work of clearing the windows.  Keep an extra key so you can lock the doors to prevent possible theft.

• When you go back outside, you should be able to get most of the ice or frost off the windows with a little effort and an ice scraper.  Once the windows are clear, you are ready to begin your trip.

One of the most common and frustrating problems encountered during cold weather is battery failure.  Good indicators that your battery is weak and may need replacement, include a starter motor that cranks the engine slowly when the ignition key is turned, or headlights that dim noticeably when the engine speed drops to an idle.

“The only sure way to know your battery will be there for you on those cold mornings is to have it tested by a reliable AAA repair shop,” said Wulf.  “This is especially true of any battery more than two years old.”

With AAA Battery Service, available in Helena, Bozeman, Kalispell, Polson, Billings, Missoula and Anchorage, a specially equipped vehicle with state-of-the-art technology and a complete inventory of batteries is available to respond to roadside assistance calls that are battery related. The equipment available allows on-the-spot diagnosis of a battery problem and should the problem not be rectified with a simple jump-start, a new battery will be available for purchase and installation. 

“The only sure way to know your battery will be there for you on those cold mornings is to have it tested by a reliable AAA technician,” said Wulf.  “This is especially true of any battery more than two years old.”  To find a AAA technician near you, visit AAA.com

Also important in preparing for winter driving is the need to adjust driving patterns to fit the season.   Visibility is reduced and the road surface is often degraded during the winter months.   Motorists can increase their safety by doing the following:

• Improve visibility by turning on headlights in the late afternoon before the sun begins to set.  Always use low-beam headlights in fog, rain or snow.
• Be sure to signal your intention to turn well before doing so.
• Clear all snow and ice from windows, the roof, the hood, the trunk, mirrors, lights and signals.
• Observe all speed limits and reduce speed whenever road conditions or visibility are compromised by foul weather.
• Avoid sudden starts, stops and hard turns; especially when roads are slippery or wet.

Don’t brake hard and use the proper braking technique for the vehicle you drive.  Cars with anti-lock brakes require a steady gradual application of pressure to the brake pedal.  Cars without anti-lock brakes may need firm pressure on the brake pedal just short of wheel lock up, and then easing off the brake slightly before reapplying pressure.

•  Anticipate potential danger on the road such as icy bridges, snow covered lane markings, or stalled cars.  Decrease speed, increase distance between the vehicle in front of you, or change lanes to avoid trouble.

AAA MountainWest Club, is dedicated to providing its more than 160,000 members in Alaska, Montana and Wyoming with travel, insurance, financial, and auto-related services.  A fully taxpaying, not for profit corporation, AAA MountainWest, Inc. strives for improvement of motoring and traveling conditions, and is a leader for travel, civic and safety issues. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.

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