Don’t forget your car's other vital fluids

Of course, it’s not a good thing if the term ‘solid’ appropriately describes the antifreeze in your car. But, antifreeze is not the only fluid you need to consider as you prepare for the winter ahead. There’s also power steering fluid – make sure it’s filled to the ‘Full’ line; windshield washer solvent (we’ve already spoken about that); brake fluid, should be clear and full, transmission fluid, transaxle fluid and engine oil.

The latter fluid is the one we will focus on here, not that the others aren’t important as well; just try to imagine the outcome if you ran out of brake fluid. If the temperature drops to the extent that your oil freezes, surviving the arrival of another Ice Age is a greater concern than whether your car will start. In other words, you can rest easy – your oil is unlikely to freeze into a black cube.

But, that doesn’t mean the cold won’t affect your engine oil. Oil generally doesn’t freeze but it does thicken. For the most part, oil will thin after the engine starts and begins producing heat. However, as your car sits overnight or throughout the day, as the oil draws colder, it progressively thickens.

From your car’s perspective, the engine oil is even more important than antifreeze. It shares responsibilities with antifreeze (in its coolant stage) in carrying away heat from the engine block. But, more importantly, engine oil serves as a lubricant reducing friction between uncompromising metal parts. Take the oil out of your engine and just see how long your engine runs. And when it stops running, it probably will never run again.

You’ve almost certainly heard it before but it bears repeating: change your engine oil every 3,000 miles for cars built in 2004 or earlier and 5,000 miles for newer cars. When changing your oil, you should also replace your oil filter.

When you change your oil, you can use a synthetic oil. Some people swear by synthetic oils. They can generally run longer in your car before beginning to break down and may offer superior lubricating abilities. However, there is something else you can do with your oil to make winter life easier on your engine; you can switch to 5W-30 oil that is more attuned to the cold. In other words, it won’t thicken as much in the cold as, say, 10W-30.

The numbers related to different oils represent the oil’s viscosity. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) sets the auto temperature ratings – viscosity. The SAE measures the flow of the oil at different temperatures. The first number, with the ‘W’, refers to the oil’s ability to withstand colder temperatures. So, using an oil with a lower first SAE number means your oil will do its job better in cold weather. Try it. You’re engine will thank you and you’ll thank your engine.

To learn more about winterizing your car, visit our facebook account at: http://bit.ly/Winterize_otherfluids+

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