Every year about this time we start hearing about winterizing. The oil change shops flood TV and radio with ads about bringing your car in to have it winterized. Images of helpless motorists stranded on what looks like Antarctica are enough to make anybody take things seriously. But winterized? What does this even mean? If it's important enough for Barbara Bush to winterize her furs, surely you should give your trusty automobile the same courtesy. Yes, winterizing your car is a good thing. No, you don't need to go to a shop to make it happen.

Winterizing is more about safety checks than actually spending [link to definition of money, i/e what you will save] money on new parts or special treatments for your car. It's always a good idea to go over your car's systems once or twice a year, and the beginning of winter is as good a time as any to get to it. The safety checks you go over apply to any time of year, but there are a few cold weather specifics that you should get done. Things get a little different when the temperature drops. Tire pressures fluctuate, fluid levels change mysteriously and boy is that steering wheel cold in the morning!

Go ahead and check out our winterizing checklist and you'll be sure to have an event-free season no matter what part of the earth you travel. Do it yourself and you'll save enough cold cash to do a little wardrobe winterizing! Now that's Automotive Empowerment!