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To avoid frozen doors, no-starts, engine free-up, and accidents, you need to understand how to prepare your truck for winter. Here is a list of some useful tips that you can follow. It will help you get the most out of managing your fleet throughout winter.
Winter driving and worn tires are an especially hazardous combo. On wet roads worn tires lengthen your stopping distance and reduce your stability. Even though most states have a 2/32-inch minimum tread depth requirement, independent testing has proven that traction drops substantially if your tires deteriorate beyond 4/32-in. You can try to get by in the winter with low tread, but you'll be doing just that — sliding. A single skid into the curb can easily cost $1,500 in suspension and steering components at five miles per hour. Sure, it may be covered by insurance. However, you'll be responsible for the deductible, and it will be considered an at-fault collision, boosting your rates for years.
You can avoid slip-and-slide accidents by purchasing new tires or installing snow tires for less than the cost of a single deductible. Use an inexpensive tire tread depth gauge to assess your tread depth. Check the tread depth on each tire's center and outer edges.
The life of a truck battery is finite. Don't wait for yours to break down, leaving you stranded. A computerized battery tester can be used to inspect the battery, starter, and entire charging system. A computerized battery tester tests for internal resistance and conductance in addition to voltage, giving you a good sense of the battery's overall state. In addition, the tester examines the condition of your starter and alternator. Ensure you have a battery tester that can test both traditional lead-acid and gel and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries. Bonus tip: may can the same tester on your motorbike and your lawn and garden equipment!
Corrosion on battery posts and connections may make it difficult to start in the cold and prevent your charging system from recharging your battery.
The negative cable should be disconnected first, followed by the positive cable. Using a battery cleaning tool or a wire brush, clean the battery terminal posts. The cable terminals should then be cleaned. Using a paper towel, wipe away any oil and acid residue from the top of the battery. The positive cable termination should be reinstalled first, followed by the negative cable.
A battery terminal protectant spray may help prevent future battery terminal corrosion. Spray each terminal liberally with battery terminal protectant spray after cleaning and reinstalling the battery connections.
When you attempt to open a window, freezing water might slip into the tracks and cause drag. The window regulator wires may be damaged due to the drag, costing you over $300. You may eliminate the issue by lubricating the window tracks with spray silicone or dry Teflon spray lubricant.
Lower the window and spray the front and rear window tracks with the spray. Apply enough lubrication so that it drips down. Then open and shut the window numerous times to distribute the lubrication throughout the track. Remove any spray that smears on the glass with a glass cleaner and a paper towel.
You might be frozen out of your vehicle or truck if water penetrates between your door and weather stripping and freezes. Coat the weather stripping, and the mating door surfaces with spray silicone to keep the water from freezing you out.
Spray the silicone directly onto a clean towel to prevent getting it on your truck's interior. Then apply the silicone lubricant to the weatherstripping on your doors and trunk. Repeat the technique on the trunk lid and the door mating surfaces.
If you have a remote keyless entry, you probably don't use your door locks very often, but that's no excuse to disregard them. If you don't lubricate the lock cylinders, they'll rust, and you won't be able to use your key. If the battery in your key fob dies, you'll be locked out and forced to contact a locksmith.
It's simple to lubricate the door and trunk lock cylinders. As long as you don't overdo it, putting graphite lock lubricant into the keyway works fine. Another alternative is to use a dry Teflon spray lubricant. Shake the spray and evenly spread the Teflon, then spray it into the lock cylinder. The solvent will dissolve any sticky bits. The interior lock components will be coated with Teflon particles after the solvent has evaporated, enabling the lock to work smoothly.
When your truck doesn't start, a stuck hood latch adds to your suffering and frustration. Because the latch mechanism is located directly below the grille, it is prone to rusting and seizing due to the salt spray whipped up by vehicles in front of you. You can keep the latch mechanism from corroding by lubricating it before the snowfalls.
Remove the hood and spray the latch with lithium oil. To massage the lubrication into the latch and spring system, open and shut the hood a few times. Then, close the hood for the rest of the winter and forget about it. It will easily pop open when you need to get underneath the hood.
Follow these tips, and you will be able to get your truck ready for the winter. Then you can make sure that you will not be stranded in the middle of the road.
