The days are getting longer. The snow banks have disappeared and you’re tempted to put your snow shovel back in the garage for the season. But would that be tempting fate? Is that one last fierce winter storm just waiting for you to let down your guard… and prematurely swap out your trusty winter tires?

There’s lots of great guidance out there about when to make the changeover from your winter tires to your all-seasons or summer tires, and the general consensus from experts is the old “7 degree Celsius” guideline: make the switch when the average daily temperature looks to be staying above 7 degrees Celsius, in order to maintain the best traction, and preserve the life of your tread.

If only the weather was, well, predictable. It’s a fine balance. It’s a tricky gamble. And every year it’s a little bit different. Get the timing just right and you’re driving into the warmer weather maximizing your tires’ tread and feeling like a genius. Miss the magic window and you’re either wearing out your precious winter rubber on squishy-feeling tires, or caught slip-and-sliding though a late-season blizzard.

I don’t like guesswork when it comes to my tires: their maintenance is crucial from a safety point of view and also, they’re expensive! I make sure to inspect their condition and pressure at the beginning of each month, and before any road trips. Making the spring swap at the best possible time has become a little bit of a personal obsession. So, beginning in mid-March, I start looking at the longer-range weather forecasts, consulting various sources to determine when that temperature shift will happen. Some forecasters go a little further than others, and will give you their best guess for a couple of weeks ahead (along with predictions based on historical data).

I use my car for a variety of obligations: local errands, visits to family (less local), and regular commutes to the big city a few hours away, and I need know well in advance when I’m going to be without my car for a few hours. Local garages can fill up their slots pretty quickly this time of year, so it’s important to be on top of it and plan ahead. So, I do my research, make my appointment, try not to second-guess myself and hope for the best!

Of course, spring is also a fantastic time to schedule my oil change/maintenance along with my tire swap. On those magical years (when the temperature shift aligns with my regular maintenance requirement) it can all happen in one trip to the garage. While I’m at it, I like to clean out the trunk and interior, and treat the car to a little love at my local Petro-Canada car wash. It’s been a tough winter, and it’s been through a lot:-)

How do you decide when to make the tire switch? Do you watch the weather like a hawk, or pick the same date every year? How often do you get it just right? Leave your tips and stories in the comments below!

~ Paul D

I lived in Toronto for most of my adult life, until a few years ago when I moved to a smaller city in southern Ontario. I spent my first winter here remarking to my neighbours “Wow, there’s, like, so much SNOW.” My neighbours would just shake their heads at city slicker me and chuckle “Well, yup, this is the snowbelt.” Driving in snowbelt took some adjustment but taking these steps to prepare for the cold, ice, and all that white stuff helps to put my mind a little more at ease when I hit the road in winter.

Tires

After being pushed out of a snowbank by some kind strangers, and driving home though my first whiteout (with very white knuckles), I decided to invest in a set of winter tires. I get my local garage to swap out my “All-Seasons” when it looks like the temperature is going to stay below 7 degrees Celsius. My garage also keeps track of my tire tread for me, and will give me a heads up when it might be time to consider new winter tires (although if you want to keep tabs on your tread yourself, you can try this classic trick, with the helpful caribou on our Canadian quarter.)

I make sure to check my tire pressure (including the spare hiding in the trunk!) before any long trips, and if there has been a wild swing in temperature. I bought myself a digital tire gauge that lights up. It was a little pricier than an old fashioned one, but well worth it for the accuracy and ease in reading it. Less time freezing my fingers!

Wipers and fluid

I’ll check periodically to make sure my wipers aren’t sticking or streaking, and top up my fluid with Petro-Canada’s 4-Season Advanced Non-Smear Windshield Washer Fluid (designed for Canada’s freezing temperatures and winter conditions). On a longer drive with mixed precipitation, I can go through A LOT of it, so I keep some extra in the trunk.

Extra gear

I’ll dig out my scraper and brush from under that pile of junk in the backseat, and put a roadside emergency kit in the trunk. I got my emergency kit from the Red Cross. They do a great job of putting it all together for you, but if you want to make your own, make sure you’ve at least got a small shovel, a blanket, jumper cables (and instructions on how to use them) and something to aid in traction (sand, cat litter, or a traction mat). A more comprehensive list of what you could need can be found here. Have an extra charger in your car for your mobile phone too. I keep my roadside assistance number handy as well.

Keeping things clear

I always clean off all the snow and ice before I leave my driveway: windshield, windows, mirrors, top of the car, wheel wells (if it’s building up), hood and trunk. That “it’ll blow-off eventually” attitude doesn’t cut it if I want to be safe, and courteous to others – plus, you may get fined by police if your vehicle is insufficiently clean. I find it’s also helpful to give a gentle wipe to the back-up cam. With working from home this past year, the car can sit for days and accumulate a lot of snow and ice, so I’ve gotten into the habit of clearing off the car when I shovel the sidewalk and walkway each day. That way, it’ll be ready to go if I need to get somewhere in an emergency (or will just make the next time I go out to get groceries a little less of an ordeal).

Slush and mud can quickly accumulate on the headlights and really dim their strength, not to mention my car’s visibility to others, so I do a quick check to make sure they’re clean before heading out.

Scheduled maintenance

For all the “under-the-hood” stuff that isn’t easy to spot, I make sure that I’ve taken my vehicle in for its routine oil change and maintenance check-up at my trusty garage before the snow flies. I feel better about going out into challenging weather knowing the belts, hoses, brakes, systems and fluids are all good, and the battery’s been tested and is up for the colder temperatures and extra strain of the winter months.

Keeping the tank full

Keeping the tank at least half full also means I’ll be ready in case of an emergency. It also helps to keep gas lines from freezing.

Planning ahead

I like to keep an eye on the forecast and road conditions and alter my plans accordingly. In Ontario, I’ve found this site particularly handy. Consult your local ministry of transport for warnings and websites that show current and expected road conditions. Your ministry will also have recommendations and requirements specific to the winter challenges in your area.

That’s how I’ve been keeping things moving during winter. The CAA provides a handy list, if you’re looking for more details on how to keep your vehicle (and your driving skills) in good shape during this tough season.

How about you? What maintenance tasks do you perform in the coldest months? Do you have any tricks or tips? Share in the comments!

~Paul D.

I love my car – my trusty Saturn Vue, Chloe (named after a character from the series “24”). She’s a 2006 model and one of the reasons that she’s still in such great condition at fourteen years young is that I take her in for regular maintenance. Generally speaking we go in twice a year, Spring and Winter. Usually one of the appointments is just regular stuff – oil check, filter check, tire check, etc. – and the other will be a little more involved – tire rotation, fluid flush – you know, the good stuff.

I really like taking her in for service. The team at the auto shop has been looking after her for ten years now and they always do a great job. Plus I think she appreciates the attention.

Since I don’t have a long daily commute, with my twice-a-year-service, I’m generally ahead of the ten months or 10,000 KM schedule that my vehicle manual suggests – or required, really, at the outset to keep my warranty active. Felling pretty smug, I was surprised to hear about a recent case where Canadian owners are being required to follow the “Severe Usage Maintenance Schedule” (vs the “Normal”) simply because they live in Canada. [1] My Saturn manual states that I need to follow the “severe” schedule when I regularly drive in temperatures under -29 degrees Celsius. Which for most of the country happens at least once a year.

Out of curiosity I checked a few provincial driver’s handbooks to see what they recommend. When they do have a section on vehicle maintenance (about ½ of them do), it is quite generic. Ontario has one of the most comprehensive sections on vehicle maintenance, but it doesn’t state particular timelines or distance driven markers. Rather, it has tips on what to watch out for that would indicate that your vehicle may need service. And it admonishes drivers to check their individual driver’s manuals.

Do you have a particular maintenance schedule for your vehicle? Do you follow your owner’s manual to the letter or just when something serious occurs? Let us know in the comments.

~Rose R.

Pumpkin spice latte season brings out conflicting feelings for me. On the one hand, it’s a pumpkin spice latte, guys! Plus, pumpkin spice muffins! (Yes, I am one of those nerds that love pumpkin spice – though I do draw the line at pumpkin spice lip-gloss). On the other hand, pumpkin spice heralds the arrival of fall, which is followed close by winter. Super close for places like Calgary and Winnipeg! And while I enjoy cruising the highways and byways of British Columbia in the summer, I could do without winter driving.

But, as a Canadian, winter is in my blood and I know I need to do my part to keep the roads safe during the dark and snowy months. This is my “Getting My Car Winter-Ready Essentials Checklist” (I’m working on a snappier title – suggestions welcome in the comments). It’s not exhaustive, but it will start you and your car down the right road.

Tires
We know we need to switch to winter tires, but when? Our Ultra 94 tire expert, John Mahler, has the answer:

The weather is shifting, and not for the better … (there’s) less tire grip, so caution on the throttle. When the average temperature for the day gets to be about +7C, it is time to consider some winter rubber for your ride.

That +7C mark is about where your summer high performance tires grip levels have dropped to the point where a winter tire has just as much grip. Then, as the mercury drops, summer tires lose even more grip and the winter rubber gets more stick.  Notice I said winter tires, not snow tires. Long gone are the big chunky tires that couldn’t handle bare pavement. Now winter tires are available in speed ratings all the way to W, that’s 270 km/h.

You can read the full post from John over on our Ultra 94 Facebook page.

Battery
I’ll admit, my car battery isn’t something I regularly think about. But with elevated temperatures this summer, I probably should. According to the battery experts over at CAA-Quebec, those high temperatures could affect the chemical reactions in the battery and cause it to be even less responsive in those cold winter months. So swing by your favourite car repair shop and get your battery tested.

Wipers
Wipers are something I do think about a lot, especially in Vancouver. There was a time when my wipers weren’t clearing my windshield in a single sweep. The blades weren’t cracked or torn, but they just weren’t doing the job. I replaced them with a different size and my visibility improved dramatically. Make sure your wipers are up to snuff - clearing your windshield in a single sweep, aren’t cracked and aren’t bumping on your windshield. You can reasonably expect to replace the blades twice a year.

Windshield Washer Fluid
While we’re on the subject of windshields .. this is also the time of year where you want to make sure your windshield washer fluid can handle the cold. Some brands are specially formulated for use in winter – they won’t freeze and are tough on winter gunk like rock salt.

Emergency Kit
Finally, pull out your car’s emergency kit and give it a once-over, replacing or updating any items as necessary.

And that’s my Winter-Ready Essentials checklist! There are definitely other items to inspect on your car as we get deeper into the snowy season, but this is a good start. Are there any winter-ready maintenance essentials that you do in the fall? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

~ Rose R.

On a family trip to Hawaii back in 2012, we rented a Ford Flex that had a back-up camera. Being able to see behind you without wrenching your neck; hearing a helpful beeping noise to let you know you’re about to hit a pillar in the parking garage; it was like a whole new world! We came to rely on that back-up camera very quickly and were sad to leave the Flex behind when we came home.

We bought our Saturn Vue brand new back in 2006 and the safety features at the time were basically anti-lock brakes and a robust air bag system. If we were to buy a new car now, we would probably feel a little intimidated by the dizzying range of new safety features available on today’s vehicles. From helpful “heads up” functions like "bicycle detection" and "curve speed warning", to more advanced systems, like "left turn crash avoidance" and "automatic emergency braking", keeping track of all the different functions (and the accompanying noises) of your car’s safety features might start to seem pretty daunting.

According to this article in Wired, even your car salesman may not be able to fully explain, or help you set up, the latest safety features on a vehicle. Obviously, spending some quality time with your owner’s manual will provide plenty of details but sometimes it helps to have a demo from someone in the know.

That’s where My Car Does What comes in. A collaboration between the National Safety Council and the University of Iowa, the site offers great information about all of the latest safety features available these days, to help you drive safer and smarter.

If you just want a quick tip on how a feature works, check out the series of short videos demonstrating the unfamiliar safety features your new car may have to offer. For a more detailed look at each safety feature, check out the Deeper Learning section, which provides more in-depth information on how each of these systems functions and gives you challenging questions at the end, to see if you’ve retained the information.

My Car Does What also offers mobile and desktop games aimed at helping drivers learn about, and make the most of, the safety features on their cars. Check out this overview video for more info about My Car Does What: 

What safety features does your car have? Do you know how all of them work? Do you think they make you a safer driver? Let us know in the comments!

- Rose R.