Winter car emergency kit: what to keep in your car and what to check
Before the first cold snap, check four specs from your owner’s manual, then keep a small kit in the car. Every spec below links to a page that cites the manual page for your exact year.
Check these first
- Tire pressure, cold. The number on your door label and in your manual is a cold pressure. Honda, for example, defines cold as parked for at least three hours or driven less than 1 mile (2026 CR-V owner’s manual, PDF page 525). See finding the right tire pressure.
- Wiper blades. Sizes and part numbers differ by side and model; find yours on your vehicle’s wiper blade page, for example the 2026 Ford Explorer.
- Battery. Some manuals name the exact replacement; see your vehicle’s battery page, for example the 2023 Ford Explorer.
- Coolant type. Top up only with the type your manual names: coolant type vs capacity.
Keep in the car
- Jumper cables or a portable jump starter. If your battery is getting old, cold mornings are when you’ll find out. Follow your manual’s order for connecting cables; here are the steps for a 2026 Ford F-150.
- A tire pressure gauge and, if you have room, a 12-volt inflator.
- A snow brush and ice scraper.
- A flashlight, a blanket and a phone charger.
Winter kit
Tool for this jobJumper cables
Shop on Amazon Tool for this jobPortable jump starter
Shop on Amazon Tool for this jobDigital tire pressure gauge
Shop on Amazon Tool for this jobPortable tire inflator
Shop on Amazon Tool for this jobSnow brush and ice scraper
Shop on Amazon Tool for this jobLED flashlight
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