How to Winterize a Car

How to Winterize a Car

Winterize a Car - Brakes / ABS

Winterize a Car - Brakes / ABS

Winterize a Car - Engine & Fuel System

Winterize a Car - Engine & Fuel System

Winterize a Car - Exhaust & Fuel System

Winterize a Car - Exhaust & Fuel System

Winterize a Car - Heaters, Defrosters, Wipers

Winterize a Car - Heaters, Defrosters, Wipers

Winterize a Car - Cooling System

Winterize a Car - Cooling System

Winterize a Car - Battery

Winterize a Car - Battery

Winterize a Car - Tires

Winterize a Car - Tires

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Winterize a Car - Preparing an Emergency Supply Kit

Winterize a Car - Surviving a Roadside Breakdown

Winterize a Car - Surviving a Roadside Breakdown

How to Winterize a Car

How to Winterize a Car

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Auto Maintenance vs. Repair

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How to Buy a New Car

When to Replace Tires

When to Replace Tires

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How to Plan for International Travel

How to Remove Snow from your Car

How to Remove Snow from your Car

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How to Save for Retirement using IRAs

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How to Invest in CDs, Money Markets & Savings Accounts

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How to Save Money

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How to Avoid Distracted Driving

Driving Emergencies

Driving Emergencies

Renting a Car - Getting the Most Out of Your Rental

Renting a Car - Getting the Most Out of Your Rental

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Tips on Auto Batteries

Tips on Engine Fluids

Tips on Engine Fluids

Improving Gas Mileage When Driving

Improving Gas Mileage When Driving

Tips for Maintaining Vehicle Appearance

Tips for Maintaining Vehicle Appearance

Sudden Tire Blow-Out Safety

Sudden Tire Blow-Out Safety

Stop Texting And Save Lives

Stop Texting And Save Lives

Common Car Care Tasks

Common Car Care Tasks

The Real Dangers Of Running Out of Gas

The Real Dangers Of Running Out of Gas

Easy Tips To Improve Fuel Efficiency

Easy Tips To Improve Fuel Efficiency

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What To Remember When Renting A Car

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Understanding the Importance of Bike Safety

Understanding The Importance Of A Child Safety Seat

Understanding The Importance Of A Child Safety Seat

Safely Remove Snow From Your Car

Safely Remove Snow From Your Car

Car Seat Safety Tips

Car Seat Safety Tips

Prepare For Cars Without Spare Tires

Prepare For Cars Without Spare Tires

Adjust Mirrors For Improved Safety

Adjust Mirrors For Improved Safety

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Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Car

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Top Green Cars On The Market

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Boost Fuel Efficiency With New Engine Technology

Understanding  Common Driving Safety Myths

Understanding Common Driving Safety Myths

The True Costs of Driving

The True Costs of Driving

Cyclists And Motorists Share The Road For Safety

Cyclists And Motorists Share The Road For Safety

Driving Tips for Wet Roads

Driving Tips for Wet Roads

Why The 10 & 2 Driving Position Is Unsafe

Why The 10 & 2 Driving Position Is Unsafe

The True Costs of Driving

The True Costs of Driving

Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Car

Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Car

Prepare For Cars Without Spare Tires

Prepare For Cars Without Spare Tires

Buying A Fuel Efficient Car

Buying A Fuel Efficient Car

Cut Your Miles To Reduce Fuel Costs

Cut Your Miles To Reduce Fuel Costs

Improve Gas Mileage With Properly Inflated Tires

Improve Gas Mileage With Properly Inflated Tires

Improve Gas Mileage With Car Maintenance

Improve Gas Mileage With Car Maintenance

Improve Gas Mileage With Smart Driving

Improve Gas Mileage With Smart Driving

Avoid Overloaded Trunks And Roof Racks To Save Gas

Avoid Overloaded Trunks And Roof Racks To Save Gas

Fuel Efficiency Tips For A Road Trip

Fuel Efficiency Tips For A Road Trip

Diagnosing Common Car Problems

Diagnosing Common Car Problems

Car Problems - Brake Light Is On or Noisy Brakes

Car Problems - Brake Light Is On or Noisy Brakes

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Founded in 1902, AAA is a not-for-profit organization of clubs serving more than 51 million members in the United States and Canada. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its members a full range of travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services through a network of 1,100 offices, as well as its full-service Web site: AAA.com. Since its founding, AAA has been an advocate for the motorist and traveler, continually lobbying for driver and passenger rights, fair laws and safer vehicles and roads. Through affiliations with motoring clubs around the world, AAA provides benefits to members traveling in 130 countries on six continents. Today, 25 percent of all U.S. households have a AAA membership. Nearly 27 percent of all North American passenger vehicles belong to AAA members.

Winterize a Car - Heaters, Defrosters, Wipers

Ed Kriston from AAA Mid-Atlantic's approved auto repair department demonstrates how to winterize a car, including the heaters, defrosters and wipers.

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Ed Kriston: Hi! I am Ed Kriston from AAA Mid-Atlantic's approved auto repair department. While talking about winterizing your car, one of the things we are going to talk about is Heaters, Defrosters and Wipers. We are actually going to start with wipers. And we are going to talk about Windshield Wipers as well, so we are also going to talk about the Windshield Washers. Every car has a reservoir for the windshield washer fluid. They are located in different places. On this vehicle it happens to be right here. To open it up and go ahead and check the level. Some of them are going to give you a full level that you can see the line, some are not. This one is actually just fill it up till it comes up towards the top. And normally you would use a new bottle of windshield washer fluid and they are usually going to be sealed because they are alcohol based. So you will end up with alcohol evaporating, that is why, they put that on there. So make sure when you put the cap back on, you put it on tight. And we will go ahead and fill this up so that it comes up towards the top and that will do it.

Now that we know that it is full and it has sufficient washer fluid in it, what happens when you hit the switch inside the car? There is an electric pump normally connected to the reservoir. This is going to pump that fluid up through this hose on this vehicle which goes up here underneath to the windshield's quarter on the driver side which is right here. And continues on across to the other side of the hood to the windshield's quarter on the passenger side. Those are cleanable, adjustable in most cases and they get adjusted so that they are spraying on the windshield and not over top of the car to the one behind you which I am sure you have seen. One of the things that is really important, specially during a winter time, when you turn it to defrost position so that it clears the inside of your windshield; it not only turns on the heater but it also turn on the air conditioning. And that is to remove the moisture from the air so that it doesn't blow that moisture up on to the windshield. So it is really kind of important during the winter time even to make sure that you air conditioner is working properly. And making sure that, that is filling is it's supposed to.

Next thing we will do is we will go ahead and talk about windshield wipers but that is going to require me to close the hoods. So I will go ahead and do that then will get to wipers.

When is it time to change a wiper blade? When it is constantly streaking the windshield, when it is visibly coming apart, when it chatters going across the windshield all the time; it is time for you to change it. It is a good idea to change them because if it gets bad enough, what we will do? It will end up streaking, or cutting into the windshield and leaving a mark all the way across for the wiper's sweep. To change them is not hard to do. On this model for example, it has a little release right here, once you push the release, it will slide back and come right off. And this is the wiper that was on there, and it is a, we call it a summer time wiper. Since we are talking about winterizing your car, it might be a good idea to go to a winter blade. If you have noticed, this one is much different where the top of the blade is actually covered in. What that does? That keeps ice and snow from getting caught up underneath the blade and actually making it worse; not cleaned the windshield as well as it should . Putting the blade back on, is no different than taking the old blade off. Once it's in, pull it till it clicks; make sure it is connected securely. Okay, one blade is successfully changed.

And now Jeff will take in and come and talk to you about Cooling systems.

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Winter Survival Tips

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Winter Survival - Hypothermia

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Winter Survival - Shelter

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Winter Survival - Avoiding Dehydration

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Winter Survival - Frost Bite

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Winter Survival - Survival Gear

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Best Affordable Winter Beach Vacations

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Getting Into Winter Workout Mode

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Tips For Exercising Outdoors In Winter

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Preparing Ornamental Grasses for Winter