9 Tips to Keep Your Car From Breaking Down This Winter

It happened to me this morning. I was just running through my routine and was shut down by a dead battery. It's all my fault.

For about two days, I noticed my car starting a little slow. I blamed the cooler weather. I did nothing and this morning my efforts paid off. I found myself in Vowell's Fresh Market at 6am buying jumper cables. (There is one set left...at the end of the dog food aisle)

I used my wife's car to fly to the store and back to give myself a jump start. Later, I will stop by a parts store and have my battery checked and possibly buy a new one.

From carcare.org here are 9 tips to help keep you out of the 'broke down' car situation I was in:

1. Have the battery and charging system checked for optimum performance. Cold weather is hard on batteries.
2. Clean, flush and put new antifreeze in the cooling system. As a general rule of thumb, this should be done every two years.
3. Make sure heaters, defrosters and wipers work properly. Consider winter wiper blades and use cold weather washer fluid. As a general rule, wiper blades should be replaced every six months.
4. Check the tire tread depth and tire pressure. If snow and ice are a problem in your area, consider special tires designed to grip slick roads. During winter, tire pressure should be checked weekly.
5. Be diligent about changing the oil and filter at recommended intervals. Dirty oil can spell trouble in winter. Consider changing to “winter weight” oil if you live in a cold climate. Have your technician check the fuel, air and transmission filters at the same time.
6. If you’re due for a tune-up, have it done before winter sets in. Winter magnifies existing problems such as pings, hard starts, sluggish performance or rough idling.
7. Have the brakes checked. The braking system is the vehicle’s most important safety item.
8. Have the exhaust system checked for carbon monoxide leaks, which can be especially dangerous during cold weather driving when windows are closed.
9. Check to see that exterior and interior lights work and headlights are properly aimed.