3 Tips To Prepare Your Car For The Coming Winter

As the weather begins to get colder, thoughts of football, pumpkin pie and the holiday season will enter the minds of many. That said, if you are a car owner, one other thing that you should spend some time thinking about is how you are going to get your vehicle through the upcoming winter in solid shape. Winter can wreck havoc on a car, both under the hood and on the auto body itself. Here are a few tips to help you take control of the situation.

Stay Charged All Winter Long

When you think of preparing for winter driving, you likely think of obvious preparation tips like changing to winter tires. But one of the most critical elements to keeping your car on the road during cold weather is actually under the hood. Car batteries sometimes don't handle extremely cold weather very well, especially if the battery is getting older or has suffered corrosion. Get your battery fully inspected at your local Toyota dealer or other major auto shop and make sure it has the juice needed to make it to the spring. 

Help Your Engine Breathe Easy

Your engine's air filter helps keep things clean so that your car can run smoothly and efficiently. But winter can really do a number on this part of your car. All of that salt and other muck on the winter roads will likely make your air filter work hard to keep things running the way they should. Make sure you change to a brand new air filter before winter arrives so that you and your car are prepared for what's to come. Then, don't forget to replace it again when spring arrives.

Cover It Up

You may have seen a car owner or two blanketing their entire windshield or vehicle with a cover to keep things cool during the summer. But did you know you can also get a cover to help protect your vehicle in the winter? If you typically have to park your vehicle outside on the street, it's not only going to get a build up of ice on the windshield, you're also likely to get hit with a bunch of muddy snow every time the snow truck comes by to plow the roads. All of that mess can hurt your auto's body. Buy a cover from your local dealer and give the outside of your vehicle a little extra protection this winter.

Before winter arrives, take some steps to give your vehicle a fighting chance to make it through the wintry season unscathed. Make sure your car's battery is fully charged and ready to go, swap out your engine's air filter to give it a  clean start and consider investing in an auto body cover to protect your entire vehicle from the hood to the trunk.

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