Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Pre-Winter Checklist For Your Car


The moment fall is over; you will need to set up an appointment to have your car inspected for winter driving by one of our ASE Certified mechanics. It is important to ensure that the serviceable parts in your car are maintained to function superbly in the chilly temperatures too. Apart from the general car maintenance guidelines that every car owner must follow, we’ve compiled a list of winterizing techniques that include tire inspections, maintenance of electrical systems in your car to avoid start up problems in the cold mornings, windshield wiper replacements to avoid collisions and enhance road visibility, and a proper fuel delivery system. 

Make Sure to Have Regular Oil Changes

An important checklist as you begin winterizing your car is to have a proper oil change done for your vehicle. Oil behaves differently in summer and winter, and this might cause problems with the overall operation of the engine in below freezing point temperatures. It comes down to basic physics; the colder the temperature and higher viscosity of the liquid, the “thicker” that liquid becomes.  Most vehicles use a 10-weight oil, which is perfect for the summer time, but during the winter months, it makes your engine work harder in order to start on those cold mornings.  Depending on the vehicle, it’s best to have a lower weight oil put into your engine.  With a lower weight oil, it won’t become so “thick” in the overnight hours when the winter temperatures really dip into the freezing temperatures.  This is will make your car start easier in the morning.

Carry Out Tire Inspections Before Winter Begins

Although the AAA and the ASE recommend tire inspections and replacements of components at least twice a month, you will need to completely overhaul your tires before winter. Thanks to the salt deposits on the road, the low temperatures, and the need of traversing on slippery snow and frost, tires wear down very quickly in winters. Thus, if your tire is old and more than two years old, we suggest changing it immediately. You could also attach snow tires if your city is under a lot of snow in the winter. Tread gauges are also important to check the allowable distance between the tire and the tread tool. You also want to check tire pressure and see if your vehicle is pulling to one side of the road.  If you feel anything requires any type of professional attention, get your vehicle into our shop so that we may further diagnose the problem.

Flush Your Coolant Systems and Radiators For Better Performance

Throughout the heat and humidity of the summer, you’ve relied on your coolants and radiators to dissipate heat externally and get rid of overheating prospects in your car. In winter, coolant systems and radiators are also components with a demanding workload, though now, their duties would be to ensure that the chillness outside does not intrude the hardware and that the heat remains in the car always. Thus, flushing your cooling systems and radiators and ensuring that the coolant, the antifreeze and other fluids are at the required levels are a must before winter hits. 

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