By Vice President Jeff Schone
Winter is hard on cars, and Minnesota winters can be brutal. Please encourage the students—especially if this is their first winter in the Midwest—to take the precautions that will keep their cars running well:
- Keep gas-line antifreeze in the gas tank and keep the tank full.
- Keep lock de-icer on hand.
- Keep an effective brush and scraper ready.
- Have the oil changed regularly. (Use lighter weight oil, according to manufacturers’ suggestions.)
- Have the anti-freeze and radiator checked prior to cold weather.
- Clean the snow and ice off the car regularly.
- Run the car often during cold weather. In severely cold weather, start the car at least once a day, running it for a while so that the battery can recharge.
And just a cautionary note: Now is the time when students may be tempted to park where they aren’t assigned—to shorten their walk to the dorm, for instance—but they will be ticketed, and those parking charges run up in a hurry! For more information on winter car care, check out these sites:
