When the leaves are empty of all their beautiful leaves and the winter winds start howling, you know colder temperatures are on the way. Almost by instinct, you get out the warmer clothes. You turn up the heat a notch and prepare for the long winter ahead. But your body isn’t the only thing that is affected when winter comes knocking at your door. Our cars are also affected by changes in the weather – especially winter. So before jack-frost makes an appearance, it’s time to winterize your vehicle.

Change your oil. The oil in your car changes depending on how it is running. During the winter months when it’s cold, your engine needs thinner oil to run. Try using 5W-30 if you use regularly use 10W-30. But before you do anything, check with the manufacturer or read the manual. And for heaven’s sake, make sure you change the oil regularly.

Winter usually means snow. And when driving on snow, you need good tires. First and foremost, make sure your tires are inflated to the proper weight. Then check the tread. See how much you have. If it’s time for new tires, get them before rather than after. You’ll need them driving in the snow. Another option is changing from regular tires to snow tires. If you decide to do this, change all four. Don’t just change the front two or you are asking for a host of traction problems.

Did you know that the coolant in your car does more than one job? Of course, it cools down your engine. But it also acts to protect your engine from corrosion. It’s good to use a coolant that has ethylene glycol in it during the winter months. The ration should be sixty percent coolant and forty percent water. If you have questions about this, check with the person who changes your oil. Remember, you are protecting an investment. The engine is the most expensive part to replace.

There are other little things that will make driving in winter more enjoyable. Make sure you have good rubber floor mats. Check for the ice scraper. Make sure it’s not in the garage. Fill up your windshield washer fluid. You’ll be glad you did when all the snow is flipping on your windshield from the semi-truck in front of you. Put a blanket in your car. It’s good to have it there in case of emergencies.

Finally, if you ever end up with your car stuck in your driveway and you have a broken snowblower, you can almost always find the snowblower parts you need online. Check with sites such as http://snowblowerpartsweb.com to see what’s available.