Prepare your vehicle now for winter weather

By Brittany Carlson, Belvoir EagleNovember 21, 2013

It's time to start winterizing vehicles to withstand snow and ice, according to safety officials.

Community members should first check their tires to make sure the tread is deep enough for snow, according to Isaac Boateng, a mechanic at the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Auto Skills Center. The easiest way to check is to put a penny inside the tread, right side up.

"If you see Lincoln's head, that means that the tire is bald," he said.

This is also the time to exchange summer tires for snow tires or all-season tires and check tire pressure, he added. Tires lose pressure in the cold. The ideal tire pressure is printed on a sticker inside the driver's side door, he said.

Community members should also check their coolant, or antifreeze, level by opening the antifreeze reservoir under the hood, he said.

Never open the coolant reservoir when the car is still hot, Boateng said.

"If you check it when it's hot, coolant is like hot water, so it will bubble up, and it could burn you," he said.

Instead, take the coolant cap off slowly, making sure to release the pressure bit by bit. Most coolants come ready mixed, but it is important to use a 50-50 mix of coolant and water, Boateng said.

Like any other car fluid, coolant can get old and stop working properly. It should be completely flushed out with water and replaced every four to five years, or as indicated by your owner's manual, Boateng said.

The change of seasons is also a good time to get regular maintenance done, which includes an oil change, checking the brake fluid and windshield wiper fluid, and getting new windshield wipers if needed, he added.

Community members who want to winterize their car without paying for service can rent a bay at the Auto Skills Center for $3.50 an hour ($5.50 for a lift bay). Mechanics are available to provide assistance when needed. Fluids like windshield wiper fluid and antifreeze are also available for sale.

According the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center, winter can also affect car batteries. Batteries should be replaced every four to five years. To clean battery cables, remove the leads, negative side first, from the battery posts and clean with a mixture of baking soda and water, removing corrosion with a wire brush. Check radiator hoses by running your hands along the hoses to detect bulges or soft spots, and replace damaged hoses.

The Safety Center also recommends keeping extra fluids in the vehicle just in case.

It's also a good idea to keep an emergency kit in the vehicle at all times, according to a motorist help site, www.dmv.org.

Emergency kits should include an ice scraper, flashlights and extra batteries, a folding shovel, jumper cables, tire chains, fuses, basic tools, a wool blanket, car fluids, a fire extinguisher, road flares, gloves, wool socks, boots, electrical and duct tape, WD-40, a knife, and a bright cloth or emergency road sign to display in case of trouble, the site states. Drivers should also consider bringing a cell phone charging cord and a first aid kit, according to the website.

For more information on the Auto Skills Center, including services, prices and hours of operation, call (703) 806-4088.

For more information on winter safety, visit https://safety.army.mil.