We’re back with more winter car care tips for you!
We want our customers to stay safe and sound on the road, and we are happy to help you schedule a routine maintenance appointment for your vehicle. Always remember to fuel up, buckle up, put your wipers on, and lights on in inclement weather!
Keep your eyes peeled for visitors from nature or decaying plant material. Do you regularly park your car under the cover of trees, near some landscaping, or perhaps even in a wooded area? You’ll want to do a good once-over of your vehicle to check for flora and fauna! Check the front of your windshield for leaves and plant material to ensure they’re not caking up your windshield wipers or vents. Look under the hood of your car for animals who may have created a small little burrow or nest in an attempt to take refuge from winter storms. Have a high concentration of feral cats in the winter, and don’t see them coming out to play in the morning? Take a peek at your engine and surrounding car parts before starting your vehicle, as sometimes kittens can crawl up from underneath to sleep on the warm metal parts after you park.
Check underneath your car when it’s parked and survey all of the undercarriage parts. Driving over potholes, ice chunks, or even snow drifts can cause things to shake loose under your vehicle. Take a quick survey and see if anything has shaken loose, may be touching the pavement, or might be in need of repair. Also keep an eye out for rust and decaying or cracked pipes since road salt can wreak havoc on some parts.
Check your car’s coolant levels and then top off or “flush and fill” as needed. If you are moving to or traveling to an area with very, very cold temperatures make sure your current coolant is rated for those low temps. If not, have your local mechanic flush it and fill it with the appropriately rated fluid.
Check your tire pressure and reinflate them! For every ten degrees the weather drops, you lose one pound of pressure. Lower tire pressure greatly reduces your ability to come to a complete stop and avoid accidents, and doubly so in winter weather conditions like ice, sleet, slush, and snow. So get on out there and fill those tires!
Clean, buff, and wax your car’s headlights for maximum visibility at night and in inclement weather. Wipe the lights clean and reduce fogging, and then apply a thin layer of automotive wax and protectant to your headlights and tail lights. This may also reduce your chances of the lights being covered by ice and snow or muck and reducing your visibility.
