Important steps for you & your car

by Corey Nash

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY.-  February is still primetime for the cold weather and powerful storms. NU is known for its heavy winters that bring intense winds and quick temperature changes. There are a lot of fears in the winter besides getting the flu and those fears should include car troubles. Everyone should take time to not only learn more about their car but to make sure they are fully prepared for the cold season.

A few things that you should always have in your trunk during the winter are a shovel, windshield wiper fluid, coolant, gloves, a hat, blankets, flashlight and jumper cables. It is important to make sure your tires have air in them and that the treads on them are still good. Some gas stations offer free air-pumps or charge a dollar fee. An easy way to check the tread is to stick a penny into the cracks in the tire and if the tread is covering Abraham Lincolns neck, then your tires should be in good shape.

Another important thing to know is that your battery is not always the problem for your car not starting. If your radio, heat and all the other functions turn on, then your battery is not the problem. If your RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) on your dashboard is not around one or above, then your problem might be in your gas tank. During the winter season water is known to get into the gas pumps, so your car probably has water in the tank. The best way to take care of this problem is to put fuel cleaner in the gas tank. You can purchase any type of fuel cleaner at an AutoZone or Walmart for about $5 to $10 dollars. One can or bottle will be enough to get your car running again. Just make sure you let the car run for about ten minutes for the cleaner to flow through.

Learning more about your car is simply listening to any sounds your car is making or if there are any lights on your dashboard indicating some maintenance needs to be done. Taking care of the small issue right away is always better than waiting because the problem could become worse or affect other functions in your vehicle.