5 Solutions for Winter Car Problems

by Shelby Fix, Car Coach 2.0™

The snow can be a pain sometimes. The worst is when you need to get somewhere and there are problems you have to deal with before you get on your way. Below I put a couple of tips together to solve these problems quickly.

1. Frozen locks/ door

image source: wikihow.com

One way to prevent frozen locks is to put some Vaseline into the lock and put your key in to make sure it’s well distributed within the lock. WD-40 can also prevent locks from freezing.

If you find your lock already frozen, you can put some de-icer into the lock, if you have any on hand.

If you don’t have any de-icer, you could heat up the key for a quick fix. Hold the key with an oven mitt and heat the key with a lighter. Once the key is heated, and inserted into the lock, it should melt the ice. **Do not try this with keys that have plastic at the top**

Finally, as a last resort, you could use a hair dryer. Once you plug the hair dryer into an extension cord, direct the hot air onto the lock.

As far as frozen doors go, you can prevent your door from freezing shut by spraying the doorframe with some cooking spray like Pam.

If you didn’t spray the doors with cooking spray, no worries, try these steps to unfreeze the doors:

• First, make sure you try all of the doors to find the one least frozen. **Do not try to force a frozen door open. This can damage the seal around the door!
• Next, while wearing gloves, hit the ice with the palms of your hands, and remove the ice as it breaks. But don’t hit too hard!
• If the above still doesn’t work, you can use a hair dryer to melt the ice.

2. Stuck car

image source: lifehacker.com

We’ve all heard of using kitty litter to get our cars out from being stuck. I personally don’t drive around with a kitty litter bag in my trunk. But you could put your floor mats behind your tires, and get your car out with some traction.

If you’re anything like me and find yourself stuck, place your mats on the spot where your tires are spinning out. Then gently rock your car back and forth to build up some momentum. Your car should gain traction and have you free in no time. You will most likely need new floor mats though.

Your best option would be to purchase snow tires, so you don’t have to worry about being stuck. The traction from the snow tires grip onto the cold ground, which can prevent you from getting into sticky situations.

3. Foggy windshield

image source: wikihow.com

The cold months usually mean having to bother with a fogged up windshield. It can be very dangerous to you and other drivers on the road. To quickly clear fog from your windows without leaving smudges behind, keep a chalkboard eraser in your car (store it in your glove box). Alternatively, you can blast the air-conditioning for a bit on the windshield, and that will eventually make the fog go away.

4. Starting your car

image source: smartercharger.com

If you have trouble starting your car, it might be your battery. In the cold, your battery may need a little jump or “wake–up” to start. If you have jumper cables or a portable jump box, you can start your car by using those.

Car batteries are a very important component to your car. If you have trouble starting your car on a warmer day, then it’s probably time to get a new one. Winter months can be tough on your engine and cause it to work harder, which puts more pressure on the battery.

5. Frozen windshield wipers

image source: luckydogwms.com

Soak a paper towel with some rubbing alcohol and wipe each blade down. The alcohol will prevent the blades from sticking to the window, even on the coldest day. If you know it’s going to snow heavily, you can also prop them up so they don’t lay flat on the windshield.

** Remember to always have an emergency kit in your trunk, if you ever get stuck on the side of the road. Purchase one in our store: laurenfix.com/lurefex_product/roadside-emergency-safety-kit/