Living in Pennsylvania means experiencing the full spectrum of weather every year. Our beautiful autumn season, with its gorgeous colors, weekly football games (go Birds!), and crisp air is one to savor. And while these fall days are worth enjoying to the fullest, we all know that the temperature is going to drop pretty soon. Pennsylvania drivers need to get their cars ready for winter before the freezing air is here to stay.
Our winters in the Philadelphia region bring snow, ice, salt, potholes, and freezing cold air. All of these elements and conditions put stress on your car and increase your risk of roadside problems. Proactive auto maintenance helps Pennsylvanians prepare for the weather to come, which means that the best time to start is during these more comfortable autumn days.
Follow our 5 Essential Tips for getting your car ready for Pennsylvania’s upcoming winter.
Inspect Your Tires and Check Their Pressure
Depending on what month your car undergoes inspection, the quality of your tires could fall short of winter readiness. Tread depth that passed inspection in the summer might be diminishing to the point of not providing enough grip for snowy or slushy roads. To test your tire treads, place the edge of a quarter (President Washington going in head first) into a tread groove. If you can see the top of Washington’s head, your tires are likely ready to be replaced.
Snow tires are also an option for Pennsylvania residents. These specialized tires improve stopping distance on wet, slushy, or icy roads. If you live in a rural area of Bucks or Montgomery County that doesn’t get plowed consistently, winter tires may help to keep you safe for the season.
Tire pressure often fluctuates in freezing temperatures, causing your tires to lose air. Review your car’s recommended tire PSI, located on a label inside your driver’s side door jamb. Then, stop at a gas station’s air compressor to check your inflation using the PSI gauge. Fill your tires with air as needed, being careful not to overfill them. If one tire is consistently losing air, make a service appointment to have it tested for a leak.
Test Your Car Battery and Electrical System
Sub-freezing temperatures put stress on a car’s battery with every engine start. Cars lose starting power whenever the air temperature is below 32°F. Older batteries simply cannot recharge efficiently enough to survive the whole winter. Have your battery tested with a voltage meter, either at your local mechanic or an auto parts store. At the same time, inspect the battery’s terminals for corrosion. If the engine-off (resting) voltage is 12.4 to 12.8 volts, clean the terminals with a wire brush, and your battery should be in good shape for winter. If the resting voltage is below 12.4 volts, consider replacing the battery to avoid having the car fail to start on a freezing cold day.
Check Fluids and Visibility Systems
Ice does more than create dangerous road conditions. It can also wreak havoc on your engine coolant, windshield fluid, and wiper blades. Antifreeze solution keeps your engine from getting too hot or too cold to run. A winter windshield wiper fluid also contains antifreeze in the formula to ensure that you can clean salt, slush, and grime off your windshield without creating a new visual hazard. Refill these fluids before winter sets in as preventative maintenance.
Speaking of visuals, wiper blades and your car’s defroster are essential tools for making sure you can always see in any winter weather. If your wiper blades are leaving streaks, or you can see that they are torn, get them replaced as soon as possible. If your defroster starts working extra slowly, or stops working completely, in the cold weather, you may need to replace the cabin filter. Filters capture a lot of debris and can inhibit your heater’s functioning, which creates a condensation problem on your windshield in freezing temperatures.
Prepare for the Unexpected
Even if you’re checking the weather forecasts regularly throughout winter, things can change quickly. Getting stuck in slow-moving traffic or waiting for roadside assistance can go from nuisance to emergency quickly if you are not prepared. Keep your gas tank at least half-full all season long to prevent condensation from freezing the fuel lines and to have enough gas in a traffic jam. If you do need to pull off the road to wait for assistance, you will be able to keep the engine running with the heat on. A car emergency kit is another necessary supply for handling unexpected winter hazards.
For a Pennsylvania winter, your dedicated winter emergency kit should contain:
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Snow and Ice Gear: A sturdy ice scraper, snow brush, and a compact shovel
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Vehicle Tools: Heavy-duty jumper cables and a portable tire inflator
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Traction Aids: A bag of sand, non-clumping kitty litter, or traction mats to place beneath tires
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Warmth and Light: A wool blanket or sleeping bag, warm gloves, knit hats, hand warmers, and a bright LED flashlight with extra batteries
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Safety and Communication: A portable phone charger/power bank, a first-aid kit, bottled water, and non-perishable snacks
Schedule a Pre-Winter Professional Inspection
If you drive every day throughout the winter months, consider taking your car in for a multi-point inspection. A certified technician can check your belts, brakes, fluids, hoses, and filters to make sure all of your systems are ready for the season. This type of inspection can be added to an oil change, PA vehicle inspection, or other scheduled service anytime during the fall.
Is Your Auto Insurance Ready for Winter?
While you take care of winterizing your car, think about how your auto insurance is prepared for seasonal risks. If an unexpected breakdown or accident happens, will your policies cover the costs? Roadside Assistance is helpful all year round, but it’s especially important during the winter season because unfavorable road conditions happen more often. At Freedom Insurance Group, we want to make sure our clients have the right insurance policies in place for whatever the weather throws at them. We are more than happy to review your deductibles, liability limits, and roadside assistance details to help you feel more secure about driving during the winter months.
If you haven’t reviewed your auto policy recently, we are here to help. Not only can we explain your coverages and how they work in a variety of hypothetical situations, but we can also take time to shop for policy rates across multiple carriers. As an independent agency, we are able to explore multiple plans to find the best fit for each client’s risks and budget. Contact our team today at 215-673-0300 or complete our online quote request to ensure that your car insurance is ready for winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should you winterize your car in Pennsylvania?
The ideal time to winterize your car in Pennsylvania is in October or November before freezing temperatures and winter storms set in. Taking care of battery testing, fluid changes, and tire inspections early keeps you from having to service your vehicle in freezing conditions.
Do you need winter tires in Pennsylvania?
Winter tires are not legally required in Pennsylvania, but they offer safety advantages once temperatures consistently fall below 45°F. If you frequently drive through hilly areas, rural backroads, or unplowed neighborhoods in Bucks or Montgomery counties, winter tires help you grip the roads and stop safely on snow and ice.
What should you keep in your car during winter?
At a minimum, keep an ice scraper, jumper cables, a snow brush, a warm blanket, a flashlight, and a portable phone charger in your vehicle. Stashing a small bag of sand or cat litter in the trunk also provides immediate traction if your tires get stuck in snow or slush.
