Winter Holiday Road Trip Checklist

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Your battery is one of the most important things you need to check before starting a winter road trip. Without a healthy battery, you risk getting stuck trying to jumpstart your car in the middle of a snowstorm.

Using a multimeter or battery tester, confirm that your battery reads at 12.6 V or higher with the engine off. If it’s below 12.6 V, the battery needs to be charged or replaced. If you don’t have a multimeter, you can get your battery checked at a NAPA AUTOPRO service centre.

If you’re going on a long trip, consider bringing along a battery charger, engine block heater, or battery blanket to protect your vehicle from the strain of cold starts. You can read about battery warming devices here .

This is also a good time to clean your battery if you haven’t recently.

Your tires are another essential part of a successful winter holiday road trip. If you haven’t already, switch to winter tires before your journey. Then, inspect the sidewalls, tread depth, tread pattern, and pressure of each tire. A tread depth gauge will show you exactly how much tread you have left. If you notice any issues that can’t be repaired, replace the tires.

The winter weather can seriously affect your view of the road. Get some winter-specific wiper blades and always keep de-icer in your vehicle.

Next, check the brightness of your headlights and restore or replace them if they’re looking dull. These LED headlights by Sylvania are a good choice for those dark winter evenings.

If you’re going to be parking your car uncovered during your trip, grab a windshield cover to make the morning wipe-down easier.

In the winter, your car’s fluids can thicken and freeze, which can damage your car’s components. Before you start your road trip, check the condition and level of your car’s fluids. This includes your antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, and engine oil.

Make sure you get the right fluid types for your vehicle. You can input your vehicle details in the top left corner of NAPACanada.com to be matched with products guaranteed to suit your vehicle.

Aside from a snow brush and a blanket, keep items like these in your trunk in case of emergencies during your winter road trip:

• Light set
• Foldable shovel
• Booster pack or jumper cables
• First-aid kit

You can find more equipment recommendations for your winter emergency kit here.