When winter blows into McHenry it’s often brutal. It’s hard on people. It’s hard on their homes. And it’s hard on their cars.

What can you do to protect your car from the McHenry winter of 2021-22? While you may feel that you’re at the mercy of weather conditions that’s not entirely the case. No, these isn’t much you can do about making the snow stop, or keeping the temperature from plummeting. But there are things you can do to help your car weather the storm better than you might have otherwise.

The cold and your car

One of the first things the cold does is to make it more difficult for your car to start. This is because the cold makes the oil in your engine’s crankcase thicker. The starter needs more of a boost to turn over the crankshaft and get the engine running.

Checking your starter and charging system is essential to ensuring that you don’t find yourself in a situation where the cold has won and you can’t get your car started. Is the battery strong? Does the alternator produce enough amperage to run the car’s electrical systems and charge the battery? You also want to check the belt that turns the pulley on the front of the alternator.

As mentioned above, the cold effects your engine oil making it thicker and, therefore, making it harder for the starter to turn the crankshaft. Make sure you change the oil on schedule and use winter-friendly oil that doesn’t thicken too much.

The cold also puts your coolant/antifreeze to the test. You want to make sure that it’s in good shape. If you haven’t changed it in a while, you should do so.

The cold will coat your windows and windshield with frost, ice and snow. Have a good scrapper and brush to clean them off. That coolant/antifreeze mentioned above is also critical here for getting the defrosters working to warm the windshield, not to mention warming you while you drive.

You may want to get some lock deicer in case the cold freezes the locks in your car though this is less of an issue with key fobs that unlock the doors these days.

Snow, Ice and Freezing Rain

Snow, ice, and freezing rain make driving conditions difficult. You want good tires that will give you the best possible traction. You want brakes that work when you need them. And you want to adjust your driving to fit conditions. The goal is to be in control of your vehicle at all times.

Snow, ice, and freezing rain, along with road salt, conspire to make your vehicle rust. Running your car through the carwash from time to time will help to fight off the adverse effects of winter conditions. Be sure to include the undercarriage wash when you go through the carwash.

Winter is here in McHenry. There isn’t much we can do about unless you want to join the snowbirds who have gone South for the season. But you can do a lot to protect your car and your investment.