What fluids should you change in your car for winter?
The fluids in your car, truck, or SUV are important, but are they ready for the cold? What fluids should you change in your car for winter? Find your answers as we talk about engine oil, gasoline, and more in our comprehensive winter car fluids guide.
Do you need to switch to a lighter-weight oil in winter?
In the past, it was common practice to switch to a lighter-weight oil in winter and a heavier-weight oil in summer. This is because a summer oil blend would typically get far too thick in the winter cold making it hard for your engine to start or even turnover. This same winter oil would be too thin to avoid breaking down in the summer.
Is this something you still have to worry about? No, not at all. Oil technology has come a long way in the past few decades. You know that W in oil viscosities such as 10W40? It stands for winter, and it means that your oil will actually be less viscous and more free flowing in winter (like a 10-weight oil) and more viscous in summer (like a 40-weight oil).
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In short, just follow your manufacturer’s recommended oil guidelines and you will be fine. However, remember that the cold winter weather is harsher on your engine in general. If you are coming up on an oil change and winter is just around the corner, it may be a good idea to get that oil changed sooner rather than later, especially in Wisconsin.
Do you have to worry about gas freezing in winter?
Once again, this is something that modern technology has mostly taken care of. If you use 10% ethanol blend gas (or higher) you don’t have to add anything to your fuel, as the ethanol will prevent freezing. If you use premium or some other non-ethanol blend fuel, then you may need to put some additive in there before it gets very cold.
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Other fluids that can freeze in your car
For the most part, all other fluids in your car should be fine too, except for one. Windshield washer fluid sold in stores in the summer months are sometimes not formulated to handle the winter cold. This usually means they don’t have deicing properties either.
If that’s the case with what you last used to fill up, or if you aren’t sure, flush it out before it gets too cold by running your washers, and put in some fluid that will operate at below-zero temperatures. It can also help you clear away some morning frost.
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