1970s stock footage - safer winter driving 1

Shelly wrote Oh wind if winter comes can spring be far behind a wish perhaps that winter will not come this year or if it does that it will be mercifully short but winter does come every year without fail for some winter is a magic Wonderland full of quiet Stillness when the world rests from a busy summer for others it is a to indulge in a myriad of outdoor fun Frolic and sports but for all of us there are times when winter is aggravating miserable and downright treacherous especially when driving armed with a few tips and a lot of caution you can make winter driving safer a time will come to every driver when that good old feel of the road will suddenly vanish and that car will somehow refuse to obey almost every command you try to give [Music] it whether you live in the Northern climates where Winter is a yearly part of your life or take only an occasional ski trip to the mountains the more prepared you are for winter the safer you'll be preparing your car for winter is the first step toward safer winter driving a breakdown of any part can not only spoil your trip but possibly prove very hazardous in car preparation obviously your engine should be an excellent tune if it ran roughly and was hard to start last summer it will be impossible to start in winter summer oil will thicken the cold will take away much of the batter's power and the engine just won't turn over fast enough to start so be certain you have winter grade oil in your car suitable for the temperatures you expect to be in better check the owner's manual on that one clean off the battery terminals to ensure a good contact if the battery is more than 2 years old you should get a voltage check to be certain it will have the power when you need it most check hoses belts and the all important antifreeze here here is what happens when your antifreeze is borderline you hop in your car warm it up for a couple of minutes which thaws out the partially frozen fluid in the engine block and then you take off when the engine warms sufficiently to open the thermostat the hot coolant goes through the upper hose to the radiator to cool off but there it is blocked you've been driving at say 35 mph for the past 3 miles and cold air rushing through your radiator has frozen its solid result the water in the engine boils and the pressure blows coolant out the radiator overflow valve or Worse bursts a radiator hose either way you're in for a long delay in your trip and possibly an expensive toe don't forget to fill that windshield washer with winter solvent in fact it's a good idea to carry an extra gallon on slushy days times like this are when you're going to need it most for a period of about 4 seconds there you were driving completely blind while you waited for your windshield wipers to clean off that mud and slush pretty scary huh here's a tip that will keep your windshield clean during that critical 4 seconds when you meet a Mudslinger like this start the washer going before you need him this will get the windshield wet so that by the time you are splashed your wipers are already cleaning it off if your wipers leave a smeared windshield get rid of them you need new ones no winter preparedness would be complete without the extra equipment that should be carried in your car put warm clothing footwear gloves and a blanket on the top of that list hopefully you will never need them to save your life but you have to repair or abandon your car only once on a cold wintry day to realize not only how miserable it is but how serious it can really be and a sort of tools should be included also a flashlight flares a small shovel and a quantity of sand or of all things kitty litter it's conveniently packed lightweight and works well for emergency traction and don't forget a set of jumper cables speaking of jumper cables many people have had sulfuric acid blown into their eyes while attempting to use these cables here is a a safe way to do it number one make certain that the vehicle you're going to jump power from does not touch your car number two have the assisting driver shut off his engine to lessen the danger of the cables or clothing getting caught in moving Parts number three fasten the positive red cable to the positive pole on One battery be extremely careful not to allow the other end to touch any part of either car until it has been fastened secur L to the positive pull on the other battery number four fasten the black cable first to the negative pull on the assisting car number five then fasten the other end to the engine block of the stalled car number six check to make sure that the cables are secure and away from fan belts or other moving parts then you may have the assisting driver start up his engine and run it at a fast idle good luck on your start but whether or not your car will start the cable that you must remove first is the black cable at the end fastened to the engine block of the stalled vehicle here's why there will always be a spark on making or breaking this final connection therefore it is important to make it away from the explosive hydrogen gas given off by the battery