Seattle and the Pacific Northwest have some beautiful falls and winters, but they can also be brutal on your vehicle if you enter into these colder months not properly prepared for the elements — especially if you live in the more mountainous areas outside the city.
At Pro Wide Glass, we’ve been repairing and replacing windshields and helping with all auto glass needs locally for years. We want all of Seattle’s drivers to serve them well throughout the cold times of year.
Whether you operate a construction vehicle for your business, a luxury SUV for your family, a sports car, an off-road vehicle, or a daily-commuter car, there are steps you can take to improve your winter driving experience. The following are our tips for auto glass protection and all around advice for winterizing your vehicle.
Winter Is Coming, Are You Ready?
Vehicles can take a beating in winter, but you expect and rely upon them to consistently perform to keep you and your family safe. Use these winter vehicle care tips to prep your car or truck for winter. With proper winter car care, you’ll come out of even the worst weather with flying colors:
Check Your Oil
It’s easy to forget you’re overdue. Do this before unexpected weather hits.
Fill or Replace Antifreeze.
This protects your vehicle’s engine components and will helps your car heat up more efficiently.
Inspect Windshield Wipers
Test and replace all windshield wipers if necessary. Don’t forget the back.
Replace Wiper Fluid
We recommend doing so with a freeze-resistant version as this helps your avoid your windshield freezing.
Check Battery Charge
Batteries work harder in winter and in some vehicles, leaving lights on by accident (on cloudy, rainy days) can deplete the battery and leave you stranded.
Check Your Tires
Switch to winter or snow tires if necessary.
Get Routine Maintenance
Inspect your brakes, four-wheel drive, heating and defrost systems, hoses, belts, and other items.
Repair Windshield Chips and Cracks
Cold weather conditions can spread a tiny chip in your auto glass, whether it be in your windshield or another window, into a large, unsightly crack.
Why does this happen?
Extreme temperature changes cause your car’s metal frame to expand and contract. This puts stress on your windshield, causing existing chips to spread in cold weather.
How To Prevent It
Get any chips fixed before extreme temperature changes arrive.
Avoid sudden temperature changes by warming your car up slowly. This means that you should be sure to go outside, start up the car, and turn the heat on to an average amount so that your windshield isn’t going from cold to hot too rapidly.
Never, ever, throw hot or boiling water onto your windshield in an attempt for a quick fix for a frozen windshield.
Never use a knife or blade to re-ice your windshield as this can scratch or even chip your auto glass. Always use a plastic ice scraper.
Schedule an appointment with an auto glass repair company as soon as possible.
If the cold weather takes you by surprise, and your windshield or other auto glass does end up cracking, reach out to the Seattle auto glass experts at Pro Wide Glass for an efficient and reliable glass repair or windshield replacement.
If you elect not to immediately look for a remedy to your chipped, cracked, or broken glass, you put yourself and others of the Seattle community at risk. In many cases, you can also receive a ticket for driving with an obstructed windshield. So, save the money and get your vehicle’s glass back in immaculate condition.
