With the way winters are in Wisconsin, having a healthy vehicle is essential, but many of us need a little help remembering how to prepare our cars for the arctic chill.

Kevin Beyer, the owner of Romanowski Auto Repair says three things top the list when preparing your car for winter: your vehicle's coolant, battery, and tires.

"If your coolant's extremely dirty, it's not going to work as well as if it's clean coolant, and then also check the level to make sure it's where it needs to be."

Beyer says your coolant needs to work to at least 35 below zero, and you can have a service station check these things.

You'll also want to have your battery looked at, because starting a car in the cold puts an extra strain on it.

To keep you safe when the roads get slick, make sure your tire tread is up to snuff.

Also, check your tire pressure and inflate your tires as necessary, because tire pressure drops with temperature, so tires need more air in the winter.

But these are just the basics, and Beyer says it's good to take your vehicle in for an inspection that would include a check of brakes, hoses, coolant, belts, wipers, and washer solvent.

You should also check your owner's manual to see if a different kind of oil is needed for the winter.

Yes, this may sound like a big hassle, but don't think you can just skip it...because Wisconsin winters can be wicked, and car trouble is very inconvenient when it’s combined with snow and cold.

This is also a good time to get your car stocked up with the things you’ll need if you do get stuck on the road in the winter.

According to the National Weather Service’s Website, these are some of the things you should keep in your vehicle:

blankets/sleeping bags
flashlight with extra batteries
first-aid kit
knife
high-calorie non-perishable food
extra clothing to keep dry
sand or cat litter
shovel
windshield scraper and brush
tool kit
booster cables

It’s also good to keep extra hats, mittens or gloves, and scarves in your vehicle.