As the winter quickly approaches, now is the perfect time to prepare your car for the oncoming cold. Seasonal maintenance isn't hard to perform, but if you're not sure where to start, use these tips.

Easy Maintenance Tips to Prepare Your Car for Winter

It may not be winter yet, but the cold is definitely approaching fast. Before winter arrives, it's a good idea to get started on your car's winter maintenance. If this sounds intimidating, you really have nothing to worry about. There are plenty of tasks you can perform on your own. Below are some maintenance tasks to do yourself.

Do You Need New Tires?

Your tires are important all year long, but their condition is extremely important during the winter months. Snow, rain, and ice can all make the roads much slicker, meaning your tires will have to be in great shape in order to grip the roads well. Before winter arrives, check the tread on your tires so you're sure they can still keep you safe. On top of this, you'll want to check on your tire pressure often so that you're sure you aren't driving around on underinflated tires, which isn't uncommon this season.

Test Your Car's Battery

Next up is checking your car's battery. During the summer months, the heat can take a toll on your battery, leaving it in an already weakened state once the winter arrives. The cold can put extra strain on an already weak battery, potentially leaving you stranded in the cold. To prevent this from happening, have your battery tested so you're sure it has enough power to get you through the season. If your battery is nearing the five-year mark, now is a good time to get it replaced.

Check on Your Car's Fluids

After checking on your battery, move on to your car's fluids. Start by ensuring you have plenty of windshield wiper fluid left in its reservoir because you'll need this to keep your windshield clean after storms. After that, make sure your antifreeze is at the right level. If it's a bit low, top it off with more antifreeze and not water. Since water can easily freeze in the cold, you'll want to avoid using water to top off this fluid. Don't forget to also check on your car's oil. Since conventional oil can get thick and sluggish in the cold, a synthetic oil change in Idaho Falls ID will work much better this season. Use an oil like AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil to keep your engine well protected even on cold starts. To find more products like this, contact Schell Distributing Inc. at (208)524-0322. You can also check out their products in their online shop.

Get Your Heater Serviced

This one you may not be able to do on your own, but you can schedule an appointment to get your heating and air conditioning serviced early in the season. While the heater helps keep you warm, this system serves more functions than that. You'll need this to work perfectly to defrost your windshield so that you can safely see the road ahead of you. Keeping you warm isn't just about comfort either. If you get stranded on the side of the road, you'll need your heater to work while you wait for help.

Protect Your Car's Exterior

During the winter, the different elements your car will have to deal with can actually damage its exterior. Rain, snow, ice, road salts, mud, and so much more can get all over the exterior of your car. These elements can be surprisingly corrosive and damaging for your car. Because of this, it's important that you take preventative measures to keep your car well protected. Before the weather gets bad, make time to wash all of the leftover fall debris off your car. After this, dry your car completely and add a new layer of wax to it. While this may seem minimal, it can actually do quite a lot to protect your car's paint. Since it works as a barrier between the elements and you paint, it can save it from quite a bit of damage.

Give Your Car a Synthetic Oil Change in Idaho Falls, ID This Winter

Prepare your car for the winter months with a synthetic oil change in Idaho Falls, ID. Contact the friendly oil pros at Schell Distributing Inc to find all the products you need for your next oil change. Give them a call at (208)524-0322 to learn more about their products or to place an order.