Wise Ideas For Winterizing Your Vehicle

October is dedicated as national fall car care month. We rely on our cars a great deal and the harsh, cold winter months can be especially hard on our vehicles. Why not take a little time now to avoid the potential headache and costs associated with an emergency breakdown? After all, preventative vehicle maintenance helps take away the fear of those unexpected breakdowns and frightening repair costs.

If you missed it, we’ve been featuring fall car care tips the last few weeks on Facebook. We wanted to help you keep track of all the pointers in one place so you can be sure your car is ready for the upcoming winter season. The following maintenance procedures should be checked this fall to help ensure worry-free driving this winter:

Check Fluid Levels– Keeping an eye on fluid levels can alert you to a needed service or potential problem like a leak.

Lights– Winter days mean longer nights. Make sure all of your vehicles lights are functioning.

Heating & Cooling– Check the HVAC system. Proper heating and cooling performance is critical for interior comfort and for safety reasons such as defrosting.

Tire Pressure– Air pressure in a tire decreases 1-2 lbs for every 10 degrees of temperature change.

Tire Tread– Check your tire tread and consider winter tires if snow and ice are a concern in your area.

Brake Check– Driving on worn brake pads not only decreases stopping power, but can damage brake rotors as well.

Gas Mileage– Keep your car properly tuned to improve gas mileage by an average of 4%.

Washer Fluid– Water will freeze on your windshield in the winter. Choose a cold-weather washer fluid that won’t freeze in colder temperatures.

Preventative Maintenance– Keeping up with basic car care helps save from a breakdown or unexpected repair (at all times of year!)

With Halloween, October can be a scary time of year. Using these helpful tips, we hope you won’t be spooked about basic car care!