It’s important to keep your truck maintained reasonably regularly, but that’s even more true in the winter. In places where the winters are particularly harsh, you’re likely to have to worry about maintenance even more so than you already have to. To help you with this maintenance, we’ve prepared a list of helpful tips to keep your truck well-maintained during the winter.
Use the right fuel
Certain fuels are going to do better for you than others in the winter. For example, diesel fuel does not perform well at all during these harsh winter months. Depending on how low the temperature is, untreated fuel may experience issues, such as frozen fuel lines and fuel gelling. Be sure to look into what kind of fuel can be used for your vehicle, as certain fuels may be too much for it.
Check your tires
As the temperature outside changes, this may affect how inflated your tires are and the levels of pressure. The tires may expand or contract depending on the temperature, so make sure that your tires are properly inflated and that you keep a close eye on the tire pressure.
While you can use all-season tires in the winter, you should be sure to use tires explicitly designed for the season. All-season tires can experience the rubber compound hardening, making it more difficult for them to grip on the road. Instead, winter tires use a special compound that better resists hardening and improves traction.
Additionally, make sure that you keep a spare tire in your truck. While these tires can’t be reasonably used for a long period of time, the last thing you want to worry about is having a tire blow out, leaving you stranded. This can become a more significant issue if you’re unable to make a call or if you’re stranded at night, that’s going to be quite the cold situation to be in.
Check the fluids
Keeping your fluids topped off is important during the winter, no matter if you drive frequently or not. For example, if your windshield wiper fuel is low, you may suffer from poor visibility from not being able to clear your windshield. Your radiator may also undergo a lot of strain, which can be alleviated with the assistance of fluids such as coolant and antifreeze.
Check your battery
All batteries are affected negatively in extreme cold weather, your truck’s battery included. The reason why this happens is because, when it gets cold, the chemical reaction in your battery begins to slow down. This has the effect of slowing down your battery and making it have to work harder to get the same results as normal. Overall, your car battery should last three years.
As the temperature drops, so too does performance, as at 32F – the point of freezing – the battery operates at 30 percent capacity. Even worse, when it hits 0F, the battery is running at 60 percent capacity. And no matter how much it drops from maximum capacity, the engine will still have to work hard. In fact, expect your engine to require twice as much power to get started.
Make sure your lights are working
Headlights are able to last for quite a while, although eventually, they will all burn out. The length of time it takes for them to burn out varies depending on the design of the lights. A pair of Ford F150 lights may last from 2000 to 10000 hours, depending. Not only are headlights basically mandatory for any night driving, but winter weather conditions contribute to poor visibility at any time of day. Try to make sure that your headlights are up to date so they won’t burn out unexpectedly.
Keep your truck in an appropriate environment
Depending on the vehicle, your truck may be more or less able to handle the weather. However, at some point, you may find that your truck will buckle under the pressure of the weather. If at all possible, you should find a way to conceal it from these harsh temperatures. If you can get it into your garage, that’s an obviously good first option to take. If you don’t use your truck very often, the truck may be more susceptible to the harsh cold as well.
If you don’t have a way to keep it secure from the cold, then another option may be to hook up an engine block heater. This is usually best done once it hits 5F or lower.
Don’t neglect your fuel tank
In the winter, it is of the utmost importance that you keep your tank at least half full, particularly when the weather is getting particularly cold. This is because, when your fuel tank is too low or empty, condensation may be allowed to build up in the tank, adding water in your tank. Even with a water separator, at least a little bit.