Without your battery, it does not really matter if you have snow tires, the hoses and belts are brand new or the oil has just been changed last week. Your battery is the heart and pulse of the car. Show your battery some love!

It is extremely important to make sure your battery’s posts and connections are corrosion-free and that your battery has all the water it needs, should you have a battery that is "non-maintenance", gel battery. In case you missed my earlier post on Car Battery Maintenance - How to Clean A Car Battery, you can review that after finishing this Hubpage. If your battery is more than three years old, you can test your battery with high-quality battery testers that will guarantee you that your battery is being maintained properly and will serve you well. You can even get battery testers that have print-out capability for your records! Talk about convenience and efficiency!. Not only that, you can get battery testers that also have starter capabilities - which give you valuable resources that may mean life-or-death to your battery, and you! Most likely, kind folks are around to help you jump-start your vehicle in the middle of a blizzard, but wouldn’t you safer and smarter if you don't have to go through that at all?

If you are in climates that are likely to see snow a portion of the year, it is best to invest in a good set of snow tires. Once you pick a set out, also find out what the cost is for mounting and balancing them. Also ask if there is a fee for storing your regular tires until you are ready for them when the threat of snow passes. If you do not plan to store them at the garage for a fee, you'll have to figure out a way to get your regular tires home - which is not a problem for the lucky truck owners.

You want your tires to work as efficiently as possible, don't you? It can mean the difference between life-or-death in threatening weather conditions. When the weather gets colder, it usually causes the pressure in your tires to drop. Be sure to check the pressure in your tires once a month to make sure they are properly inflated. Your car manual will list the proper inflation for your tires and car type.

Harsh cold can mean big trouble for your radiator. The great news is that you can prevent problems with your cooling system by having it drained, flushed and refilled with a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water. Antifreeze testers are not expensive and can give you a fairly accurate reading of what your current mixture is in the radiator. If you are not equipped with the proper items to drain, flush and refill your system yourself, do not attempt to do it! In any event, you must take the contents from your radiator to a garage or hazardous material disposal facility. It is generally the easiest to let your garage handle this for you from start to finish and your car will be in much better shape for the effort!