When the weather outside is frightful, the last thing you want is car trouble. Every time of the year comes with its own set of seasonal car care services you should check off your list to keep your car running well. As winter approaches, it’s a good idea to start thinking about cold weather car maintenance so when there’s snow and ice on the roads, you can still drive safely.
Related: Is Your Car Ready For Ski Season?
Related: 7 Tips To Maximize Winter Driving Safety
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Traction is key to safe winter driving. When winter weather gets nasty, you want to know you have the best chance at keeping control on the roads, even when they’re slick. Before winter hits, take a look at your tires to make sure they have enough tread left. If they look a bit over-worn, play it safe and get a new set of tires. It’s a good idea to go for all weather or winter tires, too, especially if you’ll be doing a lot of rural driving through the winter months.
Keep in mind that cold temperatures mean lower tire pressure and lower tire pressure means more wear. Most new cars now come with tire pressure sensors that will alert you if your tire pressure gets too low. If your car has this feature, be sure to pay attention to it. If you don’t have these sensors, check your tire pressure regularly to make sure you don’t drive on under-filled tires too long.
Winter is hard on a lot of different parts of your car, including the battery. The colder it gets, the less charge your battery can hold. That means you’re more likely to come out in the morning to a car that won’t start. Avoid the headache and have your battery inspected before temperatures drop. This will also save extra wear on your car’s engine.
You can do a visual check at home to see how likely it is you may need a new battery this year. If there’s corrosion, you can clean it off with some baking soda and water, giving you a little more time before you have to get a new battery. However, if your battery looks overly dirty and corroded or has bad connections, it’s best to have it checked out and possibly replaced by a mechanic.
Most cars should have an oil change twice a year and this becomes even more important coming into the cold winter months. If your car is burning oil or has a leak, an oil change can expose that and having low oil levels can cause real damage to your engine. While that’s true any time of the year, freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on your engine oil, so it’s especially true through the winter.
The colder it gets, the thicker your engine oil becomes. If your engine oil is already getting old and contaminated, it will be extra hard to get your engine running optimally. There will also be extra strain put on your engine, potentially causing a bigger repair down the road.
Some simple at-home winter car maintenance involves making sure you can keep your windshield clear in nasty winter weather. Swap out your wiper blades for new ones and make sure you have plenty of wiper fluid whenever you head out for a long stretch on the road. That way when your windshield gets dirty or even icy, you can clear it off and maintain visibility while driving.
When you buy windshield wiper fluid, take a look at what type you’re getting. Try to get a variety made for the winter months so that it won’t just freeze on your windshield. If you buy wiper fluid made for warmer months, it can freeze just as easily as water.
Finally, you want to make sure other drivers can see you, even when visibility is low during a snow storm. Take a look at your headlights, blinkers, and taillights to make sure none of them need to be replaced. If you find some that have worn out, you should be able to easily get them replaced either by yourself or a mechanic.
Simply put, two keys to safe driving in the winter are maintaining visibility for yourself and of your car. During a storm, your headlights, taillights, and blinkers may be the only things other drivers can see, so they will keep you safer on the road.
Whether you need seasonal maintenance or a bigger car repair service, trust AAMCO Utah with your vehicle. From an oil change to any other car maintenance service you may need, we can get it taken care of so you can drive confidently again.
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