How to Get Your Car Out of the Snow: A Helpful Guide
The best thing you can do to avoid problems driving in snow is to equip your car with a great set of winter tires. But sometimes if you live in a northern state you wake up to 8-12 inches of the freshly fallen white stuff. And even with that fancy all-wheel-drive system and winter tires, you’ll have to dig up your car.
Here’s a guide to getting your car out of the snow with some helpful products to help the process.
Clean your exhaust pipe
Before you even start the engine, the first thing you need to do is make sure your exhaust pipe is clear. The tailpipe clogged with snow can back up, allowing deadly carbon monoxide — which you can’t tell by smell — to enter the car. Do not let that happen.
Clear away the snow
Of all the essentials to keep in your car during the winter, a small hand shovel is one of the most important. You can often find one that is collapsible, foldable, or detachable for easy storage in the car. Clear the snow off your roof and windows (you’ll probably want to be able to see it once you start driving). A tire iron or screwdriver can be handy for removing ice and snow from your tires. The chunks of ice you remove can even add a little bit of traction.
One thing to keep in mind here is to keep your hands warm. You are only as valuable as your fingers are pain free and flexible. Stash a pair of winter gloves in your aptly named glove compartment. Have extra support ready with hand warmers.
add traction
Your tires need grip. A set of MaxTrax does the same job as off-road. But if that feels like overkill for your Honda CR-V, you might as well keep a bag of salt, sand, or a more pet-safe alternative. Applying the salt or ice melt liberally will melt the snow around your ice and tires, providing more grip.
Rock out your car
Rocking the car forward and backward can build momentum and help you get the car out. Accelerate as far forward as you can. Backward as far as possible. To repeat. Make sure you do this soft. The last thing you want to do is fire it, get your wheels spinning, and end up stuck more than you were before you started.
Let some air out of your tires
Softer tires have better grip than harder tires. As a last resort, you can air your tires a bit to soften them and widen the tire’s contact patch for better grip. Driving in this way can be unsafe. So you want to air them out again as soon as possible. A portable tire inflator might come in handy. The air pump at the next gas station does it cheaper too.