How to prepare Mazda Miata for Winter Driving

If you asked yourself how to prepare your Mazda Miata for winter, we are here to give you the information you need!

It’s that time of the year when the weather is getting cold and the snow makes driving conditions more difficult. Furthermore, extreme weather can do serious damage to your roadster so you want to do everything you can to protect your four-wheel pet.

To help you make those winter drives safer and comfortable we have prepared a few simple tips that you can use in order to prepare your car for the winter. ( Check also our post: Can you, and should you drive your Miata On Snow? )

Coolant check

One of the most important issues that you should pay attention to is the level of your coolant liquid. Make sure that it’s above the minimum level and make sure to insert the right amount of antifreeze in your coolant system.

There are two types of antifreeze, some you need to mix with distilled and others do their job without mixing it. The reason why antifreeze is so important is that it prevents the cooling system to freeze, which results in engine overheating, causing a severe damage.

Tires replacement

Snow makes the road become more slippery, so you need to ensure proper traction in order to preserve the stability of your MX-5 and avoid getting stuck in the snow.

The best solution is buying a set of winter tires. Designed for winter conditions, they have special compounds that allow them to stay soft during the cold, distributing the best possible traction.

Another characteristic of winter tires are treads specifically designed for snow and slippery road conditions. You’ll be able to drive through the snow with your regular tires, but your safety and car performance will be questionable.

Lights check

Imagine driving through a blizzard with clouded headlights or back signal lights malfunctioning. Before you hit the road, make sure that all your lights work properly.

You should think about your visibility, but more importantly ensure that the others can notice you in time. Polishing your headlights can significantly improve your visibility, or better yet, get your Miata a new set of eyes.

Protect the body

With all the snow, moisture, and salt, your car is under a serious threat of corroding or discoloring. The salt is especially dangerous because it stays on the road long after the snow goes away. It eats through the paint and metal, creating corrosion that spreads all over the MX-5’s body. To prevent these unfortunate events, apply a good layer of wax all over the exterior of your car. This will keep your car protected long after the winter is over.

Protect your windshield from freezing

There’s nothing like waking up in the morning only to see that your windshield is all iced up and impossible to see through. It would take forever to heat up the glass and move on, so it’s best to prevent this from happening at all. There are two ways you can save yourself the trouble of scratching the ice of the windshield.

The first option is to get sprinkler liquid with antifreeze properties. All you need to do is pore it in the sprinkler tank, and spray your windshield when it’s iced.
Another option is to protect your windshield from freezing by applying antifreeze coating from time to time during the winter.

Both methods work well and save you from a lot of trouble.

Gear up

It’s a good practice to keep some bottled water in your car, just in case you have to spend more time on the road because you or some other driver got stuck in the snow. Flashlight is also a useful item to have during the winter, as well as a cell phone charger. And last, but not least, always have a snow shovel in the back. You don’t know when you can wake up in the morning and see your pet trapped under three feet of snow.

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