If you find yourself scraping your ice-covered windows with your MasterCard or Visa, you might consider getting a little more prepared for peak winter months. For example, good snow brushes and ice scrapers are relatively inexpensive to buy and come in handier than a credit card in winter.

Each season, we give you tips so that you’ll be safe and comfortable. We’re especially concerned during winter months because we’ve heard a lot of unfunny stories about getting caught unprepared while driving in the snow.

Every time we hear from unlucky customers who wished they’d planned ahead, all of us at Swedish Engineering make sure we’ve got a warm pair of gloves stashed in our cars, just in case of a flat tire or other emergency. We also replace the old batteries in our car’s flashlight with fresh ones, and carry an extra gallon of washer solvent in our trunks.

Another step we take includes keeping a small bag of kitty litter, sand or floor dry in the trunk in case you get stuck in the ice or snow. Notice that we say “small” because too much kitty litter can have a serious affect on the way your car handles.

Finally, carry your cell phone with you every time you pull out of your driveway. One quick phone call will save you hours of being stranded while waiting for a stranger to help you.

If your wipers are failing to wipe right, don’t wait another year to have your blades changed. If you can’t see properly , you can’t drive safely, especially in a downpour or when it snows. At Swedish Engineering, we stock genuine Volvo wiper blades. Here are some other suggestions for winter driving:

• While we change your coolant every 30,000 miles, winter is a good time to make sure you’ve got a mixture of 50 percent water and 50 percent coolant. This will protect you to about –60F.
• Make sure your battery cables are tight and free of corrosion by pouring distilled water over your battery cells.
• Check out your heater system to make sure it’s operating properly and no new noises are coming from places you can’t see. Make sure the heater is blowing out warm air and that your rear window defogger works.