Winter Hazards Car Owners Have To Deal With During Canadian Winters

If you are one of those people who associate driving with pleasure and unwinding, winter can be a scary time to drive fearlessly. The icy roads, sleet and black ice make driving or even getting into a car a major inconvenience. Here are some winter car hazards that you should watch out for:

1. Windshield and windows are foggy or icy.

Keeping a snow brush to scrape the ice out every time you take out your car can solve this problem. Keeping de-icing spray during winters in the car is essential too.

2. Driving on deceptive Black Ice.

It usually forms early mornings when the temperatures are especially low. Roads that haven't been salted freeze up and can be a major driving hazard. Make sure to keep a safe distance of 20 feet from cars when the roads are bad. This will allow you to be safe on roads even when the cars around you make a sudden stop.

3. Door locks are frozen.

This is the most common problem that most car owners face in the bitter Canadian winters. As the temperature drops, if there was any water or moisture on your locks or door handles, the cold would easily turn it into ice overnight. We recommend keeping a de-icing spray handy. Although WD-40 does the job, using it tends to clog up the key mechanism and damage it in the long run. For a quick hack, hand sanitizer can be a great choice. The sanitizer lowers the freezing temperature of the water and de-ices the lock from inside. Apply sanitizer onto your key and slip it gently into the lock. Let it stay in the lock for a few seconds and try turning the key. The sanitizer will do the trick. While this is an emergency hack, we do recommend requesting an automotive locksmith to de-ice your car than taking the matter into your hands to prevent further damage or worse – a broken key issue.

4. Frozen power windows can make driving trickier in the winter.

Trying to forcefully budge the window down can cause more damage to the machinery. It is best to let the car's interior heating melt the ice over time or use a scraper to remove the ice from the gaps between the window.

car door gasket in winter frozen

5. The car door is frozen shut

In the winter any moisture that comes in touch with your car is converted to ice in extremely low temperatures. While you are sleeping your car door gaskets can freeze up overnight, shutting you out. There is a quick solution for this. Spray the car door gaskets with silicone lubricant spray and apply it evenly with a microfiber cloth. The silicone layer will act as a barrier to moisture and prevent the gasket from freezing.

6. Garage doors locking up

If your garage locks aren't great it is sure to freeze out in the winters. It is safer to park your cars in the garage during the winters and it prevents the elements from damaging or freezing it. However, ensure that your steering wheels, breaks and wheels are locked if your garage doors are unlocked.

These are some common basic car-related issues that most owners face. From time to time, your car keys also might need reprogramming to work in the winter. Get in touch with an automotive locksmith for a transponder key. Your local locksmith or your automotive dealer can help you reprogram the keys within minutes.

Our automotive locksmiths can take care of your winter car lock issues easily. Give us a call and we'll guide you with the right solution this winter.