With winter just around the corner, you might have already dusted off your comfy warm sweaters for the season. But what about your cars? Like us, even our car needs protection from the frigid cold outside. If you drive your car in the snowy weather without taking some essential mechanical preventive care steps, your car might leave you stranded and helpless on some chilly night. Scary, right?

So how do you make sure that your car stays in great shape and is functional even when it’s freezing outside?

Follow these five easy car-care tips to help you cope with the weather:

• Tires & Tire pressure

If you live in a cold region where winter sees a drastic drop in temperature, it is advisable to install special winter tires, or ‘snow’ tires. Unlike the regular tires, these tires remain flexible even in low, freezing temperatures. This helps in having proper control when you pull your brakes or take a turn on roads during winter. One more car-care tip is to pay attention to tire pressure. Keep a tab on tire pressure and ensure that it never drops too low. Low-pressure tires can cause early wear and tear, which in turn can cause a major road accident. If you find that the tires have low pressure, immediately stop by a gas station and get it filled.

• Check the battery

Winter and car batteries don’t see eye to eye. Car batteries that become a bit draggy during the summers go entirely dead during the winter. The best car-care tip is to check your batteries before the onset of winter. If your battery is just drained out, you can charge it back to life; however, in case of worn-out batteries, it is best to get them replaced for risk-free rides during the snow.

• Focus on the fluid levels

Refill your gas tank if the oil level isn’t full because now is the time to keep your car-care game strong. Not just that, fill your antifreeze and windshield-wiper fluid. The coolant antifreeze will make sure that your engine does not freeze in extremely cold conditions. Periodically flush out the coolants and refill the cooling system.

• Clear visibility

It is essential to be able to clearly see the road ahead during snowy weathers, or else you are endangering your life and that of others on the road. Get your windshield wipers fixed if they are broken before this winter. A car-care tip that not many know is to make sure that your car’s heater is working, and that enough heat is introduced to the windshield when it is in defrost mode. Also, fix your car lights for clear visibility in the dark.

• Prepare an emergency winter kit

It is always best to be prepared for the worse. Always keep a winter car-survival kit in your truck so that you can survive even if you get stranded on a cold, chilly night. Some of the items that you can consider keeping in this handy kit are blankets, food supply, shovel, flashlight, knife, mobile charger, and anything that would help you make it through the night. You can also keep extra batteries, tire chains, and other such car-care items that will help you fix your car in an emergency situation.

Remember to take your car for a full tune-up before the winter arrives as this would help in fixing any car issues that might become worse if left unattended.