Winter is on the horizon..

I have some helpful tips on how to "winterize" your vehicle.  Now this blog may not apply to people living much south of here but for all of you that have been through a Northeast winter or two you know your vehicle needs to be prepared. Hopefully this info can help you out or at least save you from a few headaches as we head full force into the winter months.

First thing I would make sure of is that your tire pressure is correct. As the weather temperature drops so does your pressure and as we all know around here it can drop fast.  You want to keep your tire pressure accurate to what it reads to your specific vehicle (it lists what it should be at in your owners manual). Or if you're more like me and just bring it to the dealership then the mechanics/technicians working on your vehicle will make sure its on point for you. You get the best traction when your tire pressure is correct and with the Northeast's icy, snowy, and wet conditions you're going to need that traction-I can assure you.

Get the right kind of oil change. No i'm not talking about the oil changes from your local jiffy lube.  Go to the dealership and get an oil change before winter hits.  The dealerships are almost gauranteed to use a better quality oil than the quick oil change places.  You want better oil in your vehicle when the winter hits because as it gets colder-the oil thickens.  When the oil thickens it does not lubricate the engine to its fullest ability.  How well does your body work if it does not have enough fluid? Ya, thats what I thought.

If you have a 4WD vehicle make sure it's ready to actually be used. Although people, myself included, just expect our vehicles to work perfectly all the time - well that's not always the case. All spring and summer long the trucks and suvs do not use their 4WD capability so there is no harm in making sure its ready to use when you turn it on. Otherwise you never know your 4WD vehicle might actually handle like kids sled when the bad weather hits.  Can't hurt to get it checked!

Get new windshield wipers and refill the wiper fluid.  I would probably call myself a wiper abuser at this point.  If it's barely raining out my wipers are on.  If there is the smallest ounce of bird poop on my windshield I press on my wiper fluid button until it basically runs out and my windshield is sparkling like a diamond.  I know thats a bit much but I can't deal with the mess.  The windshield is usually covered in some sort of snow, rain/ice mixture, or dirt and sand from the snow clean up pretty much all winter long so its time to change out those wipers from last year with new ones! Also, make sure your wiper fluid is full.  Wiper fluid NOT water (I won't name any person in particular that thought that was a good idea).

Last but not least have an emergency kit. My dad would be wicked proud that this even made my list but I actually do think it's very important. I mean I don't have a blanket or anything but I feel like I always have enough gym clothes and crap in my car that I could always use that. I have a flashlight (2 actually), snowrake, ice scraper, jumper cables, & a first aid kit.  That seems to be realistic things to keep in your car so I could call that an emergency kit. Oh and apparently they always tell you to have a plan if something does happen i.e. breakdown in a storm so have one of those too! I will call my dad and cry until he tells me to relax-thats my plan.

This is a long one...but hopefully a little helpful!

How not to...

I'm going to do my best and give you a few pointers on how NOT to run your car into the ground...

1. Change the oil when the sticker says so-Now I am the first person guilty of not following this rule.  I know so many people that say "oh well I just wait for the light to come on and it tells me 'oil change'".  Well apparently that is the wrong thing to do.  So do your dealership service department or Jiffy Lube or wherever you go a favor and take a look at that sticker on your windshield from time to time and get your oil changed accordingly. PS-this advice is coming from the girl who has gone 5,000 mi over what the sticker says..

2. Put the correct gas in it-Listen, I know everyone loves driving fancy cars (who wouldn't) but if you cannot afford the premium gas then please just save yourself the time & frustration of actually harming your vehicle and buy one that you can afford to fill weekly.

3. Bring it in for a "tune-up"-Just like you and I, the vehicle needs to be checked out from time to time.  Whether you consider your tune up a yearly doctor visit or a 60 min massage & mani/pedi (like I do) it's the same concept.  If you expect your vehicle to run to its fullest capability for you on a day to day basis then you have to give it some TLC from time to time. When I say TLC I mean for the mechanics/technicians to take care of these duties not like the TLC like that person on 'My Strange Addiction' who literally has a relationship with his car. Just to clear that up.

4. If you eat in your car...- Everyone does this (including myself) but I highly suggest that you do it in a bit of neater fasion than I do. First, I eat more chips than any human ever should in their lifetime which is a bit irrelevant but not when it comes to the amount of crumbs that have been in my seats before. Don't do that to the poor person that has to detail your vehicle & if it's you that details your vehicle then save yourself. With that being said, keep your car clean.  Don't be afraid to vacuum it or get it vacuumed and washed every once and a while...it'll go a long way. One more thing, try not to get the sour cream/cheese concoction that comes on the cheesy fiesta potatoes at taco bell on your seat belt-from what I hear it's a real pain to get that stain out.