How to Keep Your Car Healthy in Calgary

One of the biggest challenges we face in Calgary is the harsh winters. Extreme cold and heavy snow make the daily grind of life that much more difficult to deal with. Despite that, we're still able to safely navigate the blustery conditions and go about our daily lives. Whether that be dropping our kids off at school, going to work, or just getting groceries.

How're we able to manage this extreme weather? Through preparation. A lot of what we do for our vehicles is revolved around the winter. We know winter isn't messing around and we're not either. Are you new to the area? Or are you looking for better ways to prepare your car for another Canadian winter? Regardless of the situation, check out our list of things to do to help deal with our harsh winters!

Constantly Check Your Tire Pressure

Though checking your tire pressure is a year-round obligation, it's especially important that you do it during the winter. The cold air decreases the tires PSI and increases the chances you will get a flat. Take action and make sure that when the tire pressure gets low, you bring it back up to the manufacturers or industry (30-35 PSI) standard.

Consider Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) and Snow Tires

Having 4WD available helps give your car more traction on the slippery roads, which is crucial when trying to navigate Calgary (or any part of Canada during the winter). For those that are not familiar, 4WD provides torque to all tires instead of just the front two tires (most vehicles only have 2WD).

Along with that, go the extra mile and invest in a good set of winter tires. Unlike regular tires, winter tires have a deeper tread and are softer than your traditional tire. As the name implies, these tires are meant to withstand colder temperatures and owners can expect to see a higher performance with these tires in the ice and snow versus traditional tires. One thing to keep in mind is that you will have to switch out your tires during the spring and summer as the winter tires don't perform well in the warmer weather.

Keep Your Gas Tank Above Half-Way

Like most people, we like to wait until the gas light is on to get more gas. During our winters though, that may not be the best idea. Sometimes car troubles happen at the worst times and having a flat tire out in the snow is less than ideal. The silver lining is, if you have over a half tank, you can let your car idle and stay warm while you try to navigate the situation. Imagine that same situation occurring but your gas light just came on. Yikes.

Yes our winters can be tough to manage, but with some preparation and effort you and your car can safely navigate the winter wonderland that is Calgary, Alberta.