It’s hard to believe but we’re actually approaching the halfway point of the McHenry winter of 2021-22. How’s you car making out so far?

Hopefully, you winterized your vehicle long before this. After all, we all know that McHenry winters can be brutal on a vehicle. 

If you did winterize your car, you’ve probably come this far without too many problems. Things can happen. Parts can break. But if you applied due diligence and prepared for the winter ahead, now that it’s here, you’ve almost certainly avoided some of the issues you might otherwise have faced.

Winterizing your car is like auto reliability and safety insurance for the winter months. Your vehicle needs to withstand the effects of bitterly cold temperatures. This includes ensuring the coolant/antifreeze doesn’t freeze. It includes ensuring that your car will start on that cold McHenry night.

Your vehicle also needs to handle the slippery roads we tend to experience in the winter. This means that you need tires with traction. We need brakes that work properly, including the Antilock Brake System (ABS).

ABS is the system that pumps your brakes in an emergency stop, and pumps faster than any human could hope to do. Pumping the brakes is proper response on slippery roads when you’re trying to stop in a hurry and may lose traction in the process. With ABS, you don’t pump the brakes; the car does.

You also want steering and suspension systems that are in good condition as you deal with icy driving conditions. You don’t want to fight your car’s steering while you’re already fighting what winter is throwing at you.

You also want to maintain clear visibility while you drive. A McHenry winter, with all the snow, ice and road salt it splatters on your windshield, often challenges the ability of drivers to see where they’re going.

You want to ensure that you have good wipers, plenty of windshield washer solvent and a defroster that heats up the windshield.

As usual, you want to keep up on oil changes. Winter or summer, changing the oil is the most important thing you can do to preserve and protect your vehicle and your investment.

This McHenry winter is almost halfway gone but, no doubt, there’s plenty ahead. Make sure you car has what it takes to bring you safely and reliably into Spring.