Auto Pilot - February 2016
Winter Car Preparedness: Southern Style
By January of each year, us Southerners have seen our fair share of northern blizzards on the Weather Channel, including a sidebar of winter driving and car preparedness tips that seem about as useful to us as tips for driving on the moon. Terms such as snow chains, rock salt and carry a shovel bring a quizzical look of loathing to the average coastal Carolinian.
The simple truth is, generally speaking, we never have to deal with that white wintery hell that, in my opinion, must be the reason for the mass exodus from Ohio to the Lowcountry.
But, just because we don’t get six feet of snow and temperatures so low that water poured from a bottle freezes before it hits the ground, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t prepare for the cold weather we typically see in February.
A few simple southern winter car tips can make your frigid morning commute a whole lot more enjoyable:
Low Tire Pressure: One of the first things I get email about when the temperature drops is that dreaded low tire pressure light. As a general rule, tire pressure will decrease about one psi for every 10 degrees the temperature drops. If the last time you checked your tire pressure was before summer vacation, when it was 95 degrees, your tires are now six-to-eight psi low, thus making the little light come on. Make it a habit to check your tire pressure at least once a month and plan on adding air when the weather turns wintery.
Frosted Windows: While snow is a rare event that grinds our local area to a halt, we do see mornings of heavy frost. If you are fortunate enough to have a garage, clear a spot amongst the kayaks, surfboards and bocce balls to keep your trusty steed frost-free. If your garage happens to be like mine, and contains everything from racecars to treadmills, you might want to invest in a can or two of de-ice spray. This allows you to simply spray the white frost away and avoid freezing your hands manually scraping the windows. Parking your car facing east is a good trick—the sun starts to melt the frost as soon as it starts rising.
Warming up the car: The other cold weather question that draws many opinions is whether to warm up the car in the driveway or not. I personally don’t recommend extended periods of letting your car idle, but just a five-minute warm up is harmless and will make a huge difference in the speed your heater works or that the windows defrost (plus, it lets you turn on the seat heaters, if equipped, so your buns will be toasty). Yes, warm-up idling wastes a little fuel and produces a tad more tailpipe emissions, but so does using the drive through at your local burger joint instead of parking and going inside.
The Battery: The Battery in your car hates the cold almost as much as it hates the extreme heat of summer. If you haven’t replaced it in the last three or four years, this is a good time to do so. At least carry a set of quality jumper cables in case it decides to roll over and play dead.
Extra Warmth: If you happen to travel country roads where AAA might be an hour or more away in the event of a breakdown, it wouldn’t hurt to keep a blanket or extra jacket in the trunk so you can stay warm while waiting for help to arrive.
The Southern winter fortunately only lasts about two months and causes only minor inconveniences. Plan ahead a bit and embrace the fact that you’ll be filling the Yeti for a day on the boat in about 90 days, while the northern part of the USA is still ice fishing.
Jay Ramowski is a commercial helicopter pilot, automotive consultant and professional driver based in Charleston. Jay brings an easygoing love of all things mechanical and a particular passion for cars and the people who drive them. Have questions? Email Jay at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..