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As the temperature gets colder, it’s time to make sure your vehicle is ready for winter. Soon snow will begin to fall and the roads can become treacherous to navigate if you’re not prepared.

Make an Emergency Road Kit

No matter the season, you should always have an emergency road kit in your car. Double check to make sure it’s fully stocked before winter. It should include:

  • First Aid Kit
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • Blanket
  • Road Map and Compass
  • Extra Clothing and Footwear
  • Paper Towel or Rags
  • Sand, Road Salt or non-clumping Kitty Litter
  • Flashlight with Extra Batteries
  • Emergency Food—anything that won’t spoil like granola bars, nuts or chocolate
  • Ice Scraper and Snow brush
  • Cell Phone
  • Candle in a deep tin Waterproof Matches Shovel
  • Booster Cables

 Check Under the Hood

Check your battery every winter. Inspect the cables and clamps. Corrosion from battery acid appears as a white, powdery substance around the clamps. This can be easily removed with baking soda and water using a tooth brush You should also check the water levels in the batteries, if they’re low you can top them off but be sure to use distilled water. If your battery is more than three years old, you should consider replacing it altogether.

Check your windshield wiper fluids. Be sure the reservoir is filled with antifreeze solution. You should also inspect your windshield wipers. If the rubber is torn or cracked, you should replace them.

Here’s a tip to keep in mind all winter long: Fill up your gas tank often. Fluctuating temperatures cause increased condensation to form in the gas tank, which can lead to water dripping into the tank. Keeping your tank full reduces the ability for this condensation to form and can prevent costly repairs from freezing water damage in the future.

Have your brakes inspected each winter. When weather conditions compromise braking ability, you’ll want your brakes in tip-top shape. Schedule a winterization checkup at our service department and we can take care of all the seasonal inspection and maintenance for you!

Drive Safer With Winter Tires


While all weather tires are engineered for traction in most conditions, they just don’t meet the demands of a snowy Alberta winter.

Mountain/Snowflake tire verification symbolThe easiest way to tell if your winter tires meet the requirements to be considered wintertime capable is to look for the mountain/snowflake symbol.

Winter tires, made from special compounds designed to perform optimally at temperatures below 45 degrees and are specifically manufactured for cold, harsh conditions. They feature deeper treads and a tread design that is much higher density, with razor-thin grooves within the tread to create additional biting edges to grip the roads. Winter tires allow for better stability, turning, and braking all winter long.

While it costs money to put winter tires on your car, the investment helps pay for itself by extending the life of your summer tires. Just remember to switch back to your all season tires come spring. Winter tires are designed to be more pliable, giving better traction in cold weather but they will wear prematurely if used year round.

At Lexus of Calgary, we want you to be safe this winter. Visit our service centre for a quick, inexpensive inspection. We’ll insure your spare tire, battery, belts, hoses, anti-freeze, tires, brakes, heater, defroster and windshield wipers are all in good working order. We can even give you a quote on winter tires while you’re here.