Winterizing Your Honda: Essential Tips for Cold Weather Prep

Change to Winter Tires

Wintery roads can be slippery. Ordinary summer and even all-season tires aren’t well-suited to handle the occasional ice and compacted snow you come across on Idaho roads during winter. It’s therefore important to install proper winter tires as the temperature drops. 

The special rubber of winter tires remains pliant even in freezing temperatures, allowing more surface area to grip the road. The voids between the treads are also larger, allowing for the displacement of extra water and snow. The sharper edges of the tread lugs can also cut into compacted snow more easily. 

Install Winter Windshield Wipers

The rubber in ordinary windshield wipers can stiffen in freezing temperatures. The extra demands of ice and snow on the windshield can also destroy many regular summer wipers. So it’s a good idea to install special winter wipers that are more ruggedly constructed with rubber that remains extremely flexible even in the coldest weather.

Ensure Your Battery’s in Good Condition

It’s well known that car batteries struggle to handle cold weather. The cold can slow down the chemical processes inside the battery, preventing it from storing and delivering electrical voltage as easily. Aging batteries are particularly likely to fail during winter. So before winter begins, check to ensure your battery is in tip-top condition and consider installing a new one if necessary. 

Change to an Appropriate Winter Coolant

Regular summer coolant is at risk of freezing during winter, so it’s important to change yours for a special winter coolant that has more antifreeze mixed in. A trusted technician can help you select just the right winter coolant for your vehicle.

Prepare a Winter Safety Kit

Becoming stranded somewhere, unable to start your engine, is risky during winter because of the cold. Many safety-conscious drivers therefore prepare a winter safety kit for emergencies. 

This kit should include a warm jacket and extra clothes, a flashlight with batteries, an ice scraper, a first aid kit, emergency flares, matches to start a fire, a bag of sand, and a shovel. You should also include jumper cables and extra coolant. 

Ask for Honda Winter Maintenance at Your Local Dealership

There are several other things you can do to prepare for winter driving. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will be happy to explain your options and winterize your car thoroughly before the cold sets in.

Visit Coeur d’Alene Honda in Coeur d’Alene, ID, to have your car winterized by experienced professionals. We’re a local full-service dealership that’s been helping out the region’s drivers since 1968. 

Posted in 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid, Coeur d'Alene Honda Dealer | No Comments »