Jersey Guy Automotive OLD

Preparing a Winter Kit For Your Car

You've switched to winter tires, put the ice scraper in your trunk, and changed to 5W-30 motor oil at your last service visit. Your car is ready for winter.

But are you ready for winter in your car?

No matter how well you've prepared your car for cold, icy, and snowy roads, you might still find yourself in a worst case scenario: Blizzard conditions or other severe winter weather could force you off the road, potentially stranding you in your car for an extended period of time.

If you get stuck, be cautious about running your car's engine to warm the vehicle's interior, particularly if you began your trip with less than a half-tank of fuel. Several hours of idling could leave you unable to get home when conditions improve. More critically, if your car's exhaust becomes obstructed by snow, it's possible that deadly carbon monoxide may get backed up and begin to leak into the passenger cabin. The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are subtle and can be mistaken for ordinary sleepiness.

During the winter months, keep your car stocked with enough warm blankets to cover you and your passengers (particularly small children, who are more susceptible to hypothermia).

Emergency rations should include trail mix, nuts, granola, raisins, and other dried fruit. A few disposable bottles of water to drink in an emergency are also a good idea. The flexible plastic should accommodate their freezing and thawing without soaking your trunk. Consider keeping a plastic cup in the car; if absolutely necessary, you can thaw snow for drinking water. Do your best to minimize the interior's exposure to the outside temperature while you collect the snow.

[Photo: Marcin Wichary via Flickr, used under CC BY 2.0 license]