With the winter weather that Ottawa typically sees. It is highly logical to make sure you are doing your due diligence to make sure you are putting your safety as well as others on the road in consideration. Ottawa Pre-Owned, provides a winterization package for your vehicle, to give you the best chance when the first snow hits. These are the main things we recommend:
Winter/Snow tires
Typically, all season tires will perform extremely poorly as the temperature falls below 7 degree Celcius. Having winter tries provides you with that much more grip on the road, when you really need to stop.
Tire tread/pressure check
Tire pressure drops with drops in the ambient temperature. Making sure that you are running at the recommend PSI dictated by your manufacturer can mean a lot of difference in braking distance, tire wear and fuel economy. Having tires, that will actually last you the entire season is also extremely crucial.
Inspect your brakes and brake system
Check your wiper blades, wiper fluid and other fluid levels. Extremely important to make sure you have a new pair of wiper blades that do not streak. More important, is make sure you are using the right kind of wiper fluid that will not freeze with the ambient temperature. Buy something that is rated for below -45 degree Celcius or more. Visibility is already poor, and you should not want anything to compromise this further.
Also inspect your interior heater and defrosters to rule out any sudden surprises when you need it the most.
Check your battery
Car batteries will not fault you when the weather is above 0. However, in times when you need it most, your battery might not be able to drive the cold cranking amps required to start your vehicle in very low temperatures. The time when you need it the most! Make sure you do an inspection before winter hits and replace your battery if required.
Emergency Kit
Consider building an emergency kit and keeping one in your car, that has a few fundamentals, such as:
- Flashlight
- Blankets
- Non-perishable snacks: snack bars, energy drinks
- Jumper cables to jump start your battery
- Spare warm clothes, hand gloves/mittens
- First Aid Kit, that includes bandages and other emergency medication.
- Spare jug of winter windshield fluid
- Snow Shovel
Just before the winter season hits, come into our dealership to make sure your vehicle is ready and safe for the coming season.