So, we thought it was almost spring. Mother Nature says “PSYCH”.
The winter months have been unseasonably warm which has given us a false sense of comfort. We have pretended that the cold weather has allready passed us by. Then a six inch snow dump ruins our week.
February and March can be very temperamental because of the random weather change. This recent snow storm started me thinking about car preparation in any weather condition. I decided to ask our resident experts here at Experienced Automotive in Kaysville Utah their thoughts on Car Care during and after storms.
First let me introduce these two fine gentleman with mountains of car care wisdom. Our Shop Owner Chad has had over 20 years of auto mechanic experience and is a certified Master Technician in many areas of aftermarket auto repair. Last but never least, the man that help create this automotive boy wonder Doug(AKA MAC), the man with decades of life experience and love for all thing cars and air plains but that is a topic for another day. This father and son team will guid you through the daunting, some what boring, but very musch needed tips in the world of car care.
I asked Mac to help me write this post by sharing his knowledge of how to keep your ride sparkling in below freezing tempetures. He is an experienced snow plow driver. Having over 20 years experience as a snow plow driver in Sandy, Utah he has witness and driven in many types of road conditions. This veteran snow plow driver is so dedicated to his vehicles, he washes his truck and car by hand with his trusty power washer many times during the winter. He is so hard core that he washes his truck on the driveway out in the low digits. I don’t know how he stands the freezing cold but his vehicles always look good.
Mac recommends that after every snow storm we wash our vehicles. In Utah we use salt on the roads to melt the ice and that icy salt sticks to the bottom of our cars, if neglected it can start to rust the undercarriage. Mac says to wash your ride after the snow is done falling and the roads have been cleared. Mac also recomends warm water on the body of your car, this will help dissolve that stuck on icy snow salt.
Warning…… Do not ever pour hot water on the windshield or any window in freezing temperatures. This can break your glass. Having to replace your windshield will end up being a costly mistake and a huge inconvenience.
If you park your vehicle in the driveway where it will be snowed upon Mac recommends a few things to protect your car exterior in a storm. Cover the windshield on the outside with a blanket or old towel especially overnight. This does two things: It make ice scraping a breeze and it helps protect your windshield wipers. Have you noticed that sometimes your wipers smear snow and ice on the windshield instead of clearing it. This is because there is ice and chunks of snow frozen to the blades. By covering your windshield when parked outside at home you will save time by not having to scrape the windows and knock the ice off of your windshield and blades. Your vehicle takes a lot of time to warm up and defrost, by putting a cover on your windshield it can save you time and help you be and drive safe on the roads by having good visibility through your windshield. Many times I have seen drivers only scrape a port hole size circle to see through on the driver’s side of their windshield. This is dangerous for ourselves and those that share the road. I see it quite a bit during school drop off and pickups and I worry that a kid will be hit due to poor visibility because your windshield is not cleared properly. Also the chunks of ice and snow on the roof of your car can and will fly off as you drive and most likley hit the car behind you. This can cause a wreck by startling the driver behind you and it has the potential to damage other cars on the road. Unless you have laser and exray vision to see through snow and ice, do us a favor and clear your car before you drive.
I know this subject is nothing new and should be common sense but it happens all the time. please pass these tips to your loved ones and especialy new drivers.
Stay Safe on the roads and we are here to help.
Brought to you by the car people at EXPERIENCED AUTOMOTIVE in Kaysville Utah.