They say that “you live and you learn”… right? Well, that was the case with me. If you live somewhere really cold (like in Canada), where your car may not be dependable because of the temperature, you need to read this. I’m hoping that this post can save you from an avoidable snowy disaster(s). Here are a few things I wish I did prior to the cold snap.
1. WARM UP YOUR CAR WITH A REMOTE STARTER
Before we dig deep into all the things I did wrong (or rather didn’t do) this winter, I’d like to highlight the one thing I DID do. And that is getting a remote starter! I went and got it installed at a local car remote installer here in Edmonton, Alberta and am SO thankful that I did this! If you are also in Edmonton, I would give Push To Start a shout and get this set up asap. How did I survive so many winters without this?! If you do get this bad boy installed, make sure you leave the heat vents on every time you exit the car, as well as the seat warmers. This will ensure that the heat is blowing the next time you activate the remote starter, and that your buns can be welcomed with toasty seats! Another thing I learned is that although the remote start will help you warm up your car, you have to actually drive it once in a while so that your car battery doesn’t die. I started my car using the remote 3 days in a row thinking that it would be fine, but found that the car didn’t run when I tried driving it on the 4th day. Sigh.
2. GET A NEW BATTERY
Okay, so now we’re going to start talking about the things I REALLY should have done when it was warmer. If you have no clue about cars whatsoever, you should get yourself in contact with a friend who knows a little bit about cars and get their opinion on whether your battery looks hella old. An alternative is to simply find out how old your battery is or when it was last replaced. Google says that you should be replacing your battery every 5-7 years. I really don’t have much knowledge about cars, BUT I was advised that your local Walmart should have a number of diverse and inexpensive car batteries. If you’re REALLY looking to save more money (and if you have time), you can go to your local Pick and Pull (or any other recycled auto parts stores) to scour for one instead. The auto parts that you can find here are usually used, but they are typically tested prior to being put on the shelves.
3. PORTABLE POWER JUMP STARTER
This portable jump starter is EVERYTHING you need if your car battery is not very dependable. And even if it’s in decent shape, you could be helping someone else get out of a pickle when their car dies. All you need to do, is make sure it is charged up (there is a battery indicator to let you know how much juice is left), put the clamps on as needed, switch the device to “On”, start your car, and voila! Your car should (hopefully) start! Here’s a model a friend of mine had purchased off of Amazon.
4. EXTRA LONG BOOSTER CABLES
You might have seen regular booster cables before (they’re just long enough to reach in between 2 cars when they are directly across from each other). But what if you end up in a situation like me, where you’re parked on the driveway and facing the house? There was no way I was able to fit a car in front of it without running over my neighbor’s beautiful winter bushes, or destroying our front porch. In times like these, I really wished wished I had this lovely 25ft long booster cable that they have on Amazon. Too bad it couldn’t be delivered same day.
5. GOOD WINDSHIELD WIPERS
Where I come from, we constantly have snow in the winter, and occasionally have freezing rain too! Good wipers are crucial as the snow and ice starts to melt as your car heats up. A few weeks ago, I was scraping the ice and snow off of my front windshield, when I accidentally snapped one of my wipers off. I decided to head to Canadian Tire and obtain the cheapest wiper available for a total of $12. I thought I made a great purchase until I suffered for the weeks to come. Every time I activated the wipers, I could not see anything! The wiper would leave streaks of wet snow and water across the window, and then FREEZE, then melt, then freeze again! I decided to return the wiper, and go for premium ones in hopes of avoiding a car accident and expensive insurance claims. I ended up with these Bosch Icon wiper blades, and absolutely have zero regrets.
Additional tip: The wipers on the driver vs passenger vs rear side are usually in different sizes. If you have no idea what size to get, check this site to enter your vehicle’s year/make/model and get the proper specs.