How to Prepare Your Mazda for Winter in CNY | Winter Car Care Tips, by Romano Mazda on YouTube. 1 min 11 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 11 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check your tire tread depth and pressure. Cold weather lowers pressure, so inflate to the figure on the sticker inside the driver's door jamb.
Fit winter tires if you face regular snow and ice. All-season tires work only if the tread is still deep and even.
Top up the windshield washer fluid with a winter-rated mix. Plain summer fluid can freeze on the glass and block your view.
Test the battery or have it load tested. Cold mornings are when weak batteries fail, so replace an old one before the season.
Check the coolant and oil levels and use the grade your Mazda manual lists for cold weather.
Inspect the wiper blades and replace any that streak or skip. Fill the washer reservoir and keep a spare jug in the trunk.
Pack an emergency kit: ice scraper, snow brush, blanket, gloves, flashlight and a small shovel.
Wash the car and apply wax before the salt season starts. Clean the underside so road salt has less to cling to.
Tips and common mistakes
Check tire pressure monthly in winter, since every 10 degrees of temperature drop can cost about 1 psi.
Never pour hot water on a frozen windshield, as the glass can crack. Use a scraper and the defroster instead.
Keep the fuel tank at least half full to reduce condensation and give you range if you get stuck.
Lift the wiper arms away from the glass before a freeze so the blades do not stick.
Questions
Do I really need winter tires in Central New York?
They help a lot on snow and ice. If you drive daily through lake-effect winters, winter tires give noticeably better grip than all-seasons.
How often should I check my battery in winter?
Have it tested before the first freeze and any time it is more than three or four years old. Cold cranking loads are hardest on a weak battery.
What should go in a winter car kit?
An ice scraper, snow brush, blanket, gloves, flashlight, small shovel and a phone charger cover the basics. Add a bag of sand or kitty litter for traction.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
