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Cold weather is hard on cars, especially if you don’t have a garage, so you have to park your BMW outside during the wintertime. Freezing temperatures often cause changes in tire pressure as well as result in thickened fluids beneath your car’s hood. Protect your investment by keeping your car in good condition, even during the coldest time of the year.
Salt used to melt the ice on the roads can cause serious damage to your BMW. Corrosion and rust are just a few of the problems caused by the salt that sprays up into the undercarriage of the car, as well as over the entire exterior. It’s always important to keep your car clean and waxed, but it becomes even more crucial during the wintertime. If you don’t want to brave the cold weather to wash it yourself, pick up a monthly pass to a local car wash and drive through it a few times a week. Make sure to upgrade once in a while to include the undercarriage soak.
After you wash it, apply a wax treatment to the exterior at least once every few weeks. This will provide a protective coating that acts as a barrier between your car’s paint job and the harsh salt.
The winter months are also hard on the fluids in your BMW. These fluids help to cool and lubricate the engine, keep your windshield clean, allow the transmission and brake systems to work properly, and keep the engine from freezing, so it’s important that the reservoirs stay full throughout the season. When you park your car outside, the dropping overnight temps can also cause the fluids to become thicker, making it impossible for them to flow properly. Before you shift out of park in the morning, let your car run for at least 10 minutes to warm up the fluids.
Every time you get gas, pop the hood and check the levels. You may also want to take your BMW into a service shop to have the fluids replaced just before the first snowstorm of the season.
When it’s snowing or raining outside, your visibility is worsened by the conditions. So it’s crucial for safe driving to make sure you can see out of the windshield. If you notice streaks when you turn on the wipers, that’s an indicator that you need new blades. Waiting too long to replace them could result in more serious issues, such as decreased visibility that causes you to get into an accident.
The pressure in your BMW’s tires drops when it gets colder, often by as much as one PSI when the temperature drops 10 degrees, so when it goes from warm to freezing in a short period of time, you could notice a serious change. Keep the tires at their optimal pressure levels by checking them and adding air as needed frequently throughout the winter.
Protect your BMW this winter by giving it a little extra TLC.