Those who have experience the unpleasantries of winter driving knows the importance of being prepared for the worst.

Sure this might just be a bit early, but there’s no time to prepare winterizing you car than fall. Why this early? Well, some of these winterizing must-haves may entail some costs. Flagging your attention to some of the things that you have to look out for this early would give you time to reconsider your budgets and allot some for preparing your ride for the winter.

Trust us. You don’t want to get stalled in heavy snow at night in the middle of nowhere.

Radiator coolant and antifreeze: Anti-freeze keeps your radiator from freezing and cracking up. One of the culprits of anti-freeze not working at all is when you mix the wrong proportions of coolant/water and anti-freeze. So make sure to read the label of your anti-freeze and coolant to make sure that you’re using the right blend.

Batteries: Because of the low temperatures during winter, your car sucks up a lot more juice (around four times more) just to start the engine. So better make sure that your car battery has enough juice in it. Your mechanic can do a draw and load test on your battery to make sure that it does.

Electrical System: Make sure that anything that uses juice is in good shape. This includes distributor caps, points, condenser, ignition coil, spark plugs and their cables are tip-top. If you think that anything that’s holding on now will make it through winter, think again. Borderline components will give out in low temperatures.

Hoses and Belts: Just make sure that none of your belts and hoses have any cracks in them. Any sign of wear spells bad news for the cold weather.

Windshield: Apply anti-fogging solutions to the inside. You don’t want to be staring at a hazy windshield when it’s snowing.

Windshield Wiper Fluid: If you use plain old water mixed with some store-bought solution, check the label again. Frozen liquid inside the engine bay is dangerous. There are many commercial fluids available for winter use.

Tires: If you opted to invest on all-weather tires, just make sure that your tires’ treading are still thick and grippy. Depending on your use and if you’ve been consistent on tire rotation, chances are your tires would have ample tread on them to hold. If you will be doing a lot of driving, invest on snow tires. You can always store your snow tires during the summer (just make sure you store them sideways to prevent distortion and that they are inflated only to 50%).

Provisions: Be sure that you carry a survival kit inside your car when driving in winter. Buy flares, chains and a trench tool for emergencies. Pack extra clothing, energy bars, and a water bottle. A flashlight with extra batteries is a must-have. Keep a lock de-icer with you all the time to make sure that you can always get inside your car.