NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you've driven your car at all in the last week, it may look like it needs a bath. But getting it clean now is important and not just to make it look better.
All of the snow, salt and ice needs to come off because it can actually be dangerous, especially if your car is newer. That’s because those advanced safety systems need the sensors and cameras need to be clean and clear so they'll work when you really need them.
“The one you’re going to use the most, is the backup camera," said Consumer Reports Autos Editor Jon Linkov. "So take a bucket of water, a little soap and you’re just going to want to go underneath and find the exposed camera.”
If your car has parking assist, wipe away any debris from the bumper sensors.
Rear body panels house blind spot monitoring radars. Remove snow and salt so they can continue to detect objects out of your view.
And many new cars have radar sensors behind the front grille, so keep that area clean of impacted snow.
If your car has “forward collision” or “lane departure warning,” you’ll need to pay extra attention to the windshield where the camera and sensors are usually mounted. If you don’t get it clean, those sensors may get triggered while you're driving as snow and mud slide!
“So, you’re going to want to clean these and make sure that they’re clean before you start driving," Linkov said. "One final thing to consider: 360-degree camera system are on some vehicles, usually they are on the mirror area. You’re gonna want to reach under here make sure that these are clean just like the front and rear cameras.”
Other things you should do in the winter? Check your tire pressure monthly. A lot of sensors will show low pressure when the temperatures drop. Be sure to also check your tire treads.
And of course, always keep a full tank of gas, and if you drive an EV, don’t let the charge fall below 20-percent.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
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