Santa Fe is a beautiful place inhabited by many different people. Some were born here, others have moved to the high desert country to escape the heat of other parts of the country. Many of these newcomers have never witnessed winters like we have here in northern New Mexico. No matter how long you’ve lived here, you need to winterize your automobile and, just as important, you need to winterize your driving skills.

Santa Fe KIA, the authority in northern New Mexico on auto winter readiness and driving, is the place to go for help. One of the most important rules in winterizing your auto is to make sure you get your vehicle serviced often and with trusted service specialists, like at Santa Fe KIA. Visit the Santa Fe KIA website and you’ll find many Service Specials. Plus under the “Service” column at the top, you’ll find where you need to go to get service. First, however, let’s take a quick look at what you need to do to get your car ready for winter.

When you bring your vehicle to Santa Fe KIA for winterizing service, one of the first things they will do is check the battery. Battery power decreases as the temperature gets colder, so it requires more power to start and operate your car in the winter.

The cooling system needs to be checked. It is recommended that a ratio between 50/50 and 70/30 of antifreeze to water be maintained during winter months. Ask your KIA service technician what antifreeze should be used for your vehicle and what is the appropriate coolant-to-water ratio to prevent corrosion and potential freezing.

All belts, hoses, spark plugs, wires, and cables need to be examined. If one of these goes out or breaks, you could get stranded, and that’s no fun when it’s freezing outside.

In the cold season, you may consider changing to winter tires. Here in Santa Fe, however, all-season tires often work fine if they are in good condition. Even so, it is important to have them checked before the cold sets in to make sure they are in good shape for unpredictable weather.

While cold weather isn’t necessarily harmful to your brakes, a thorough inspection of them is important to ensure the best performance when driving in winter conditions.

Colder weather reduces the pressure in your tires so it is crucial to check your tire pressure often. Every ten-degree change in ambient temperature could mean a gain or loss of one PSI. This is one of the most important checks you want to do as you winterize your vehicle.

Think about changing to winter windshield wipers. Also, you should replenish your windshield wiper fluid often. A single snowstorm can deplete a large amount of this fluid, so refill the washer reservoir frequently with windshield wiper fluid formulated for winter conditions. Also, for obvious reasons, it’s a good idea to keep the gas tank at least half full.

Another important thing to do is assemble a winter emergency kit to keep in your automobile. This consists of a pack of matches, a first aid kit, flashlights and batteries, flares, an ice scraper, warm clothing, gloves, boots and hats, blankets, jumper cables, non-perishable food and water, a car tool kit, a shovel, and some extra antifreeze. Of course…don’t forget your cell phone!

Getting left out in the cold with an automobile that hasn’t been winterized can be a life-threatening situation. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Don’t wait, winterize your car today at Santa Fe KIA!