CALIFORNIA, USA — With rain and snow on the way for Northern California, here's what drivers can do to prepare their cars for colder temperatures.
Charlie Grace is the General Manager of University Automotive and Diesel Repair in Sacramento. He says there are several precautions people can take before wet weather impacts the roads.
"Bald tires are probably the #1 thing for a safety issue. People are very unaware of their tires, they do not examine the tires even when they’re looking at their car," said Grace.
He says when cold weather comes in, tire pressure can decrease naturally, so check your tire pressure and readjust if needed. The cold can impact your vehicle in many ways.
"Batteries fail during the snow season, windshield wiper motors will fail, window motors will fail and the ice wreaks havoc on a lot of things," said Grace.
He says antifreeze is important, especially in colder climates.
"They call it antifreeze because it's designed to keep it from freezing and damaging and destroying the engine block," said Grace.
He says a weaker mix of antifreeze is typically used in the valley. He says people who live in places like Tahoe and Reno often run more antifreeze in their cooling systems than vehicles at lower elevations, for example.
"That would be another thing that I see. People go skiing, the car freezes, it blows a radiator hose and now they're stuck," said Grace.
Make sure headlights and brake lights work, too. Grace says there are kits to clean headlights for under $20 that can help them look cleaner and brighter.
You should also check your wiper blades and replace them, if needed. Grace says he often sees windshield washer system failures when people from Sacramento use "normal" washer fluid and visit higher elevations. He says it can freeze and damage the bottle it sits in.
When you get to higher elevations, Grace says you can legally buy a washer fluid that has antifreeze in it, which cannot be purchased in the valley.
AAA spokesperson John Treanor says there’s a variety of roadside assistance calls they get when there’s winter weather.
"Dead batteries, because your batteries are working extra hard over the wintertime. We’re going to have issues with tires as the pressure changes because of the weather and we are going to have a lot of incidents where slick roads are going to affect people. You’re going to see fender benders, going to see people getting rear-ended because you're following too closely or maybe you have an issue braking in time," said Treanor.
He says to get your brakes looked at by a professional and your battery tested, too.
"So get out, take care of your car now, be prepared that way you don’t get stopped later," said Treanor.
Treanor recommends keeping an emergency kit in your car and having a plan in case something goes wrong. He says to be proactive when it comes to prepping for rain or snow and be prepared to drive differently in those conditions.
For your car
- Ice scraper
- Snow shovel
- Jumper cables
- Kitty litter, or sand for under your tires.
For you, family and friends
- Extra clothes
- Blankets
- Flashlight
- Food
- Portable charger
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