Manual / Cold weather prep

Winter Car Prep Checklist (Do It in One Weekend)

Battery, tires, wipers, fluids and a trunk kit. A one-weekend list for cold-weather car prep.

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Chapter 3 · about 6 min · updated Oct 2026

Most winter breakdowns are boring: a weak battery, worn wipers, low washer fluid. One weekend fixes almost all of it.

Saturday morning: under the hood

  • [ ] Test the battery. Resting voltage 12.6 V is full. Anything under 12.4 V after a night's rest deserves attention.
  • [ ] Clean the terminals if you see white or green crust (how).
  • [ ] Check coolant strength with a cheap hydrometer or test strips.
  • [ ] Top up washer fluid with a winter blend rated below 0°F.
From the toolbox

Battery tests weak but it's under four years old and physically fine? Some DIYers try reconditioning first. We looked at the Easy Battery Fix guide and listed what it does and doesn't do.

Read the review →

Saturday afternoon: outside

  • [ ] Tire pressure drops about 1 PSI for every 10°F. Set it cold, to the number on the door sticker.
  • [ ] Tread depth: the quarter test (Washington's head should be partly covered).
  • [ ] Winter wipers and a fresh ice scraper.

Sunday: inside and trunk

  • [ ] Pack a winter emergency kit.
  • [ ] Check heater and defroster blow hot.
  • [ ] Put a battery maintainer on if the car will sit for long stretches.

Planning to keep an older battery going one more season? Here's the DIY battery guide we read through.

Easy Battery FixOne-time digital guide · lead-acid, deep-cycle and household batteriesSee it