Winter Readiness and Your Automobile

By: Andy Strebe

Is your vehicle ready for winter? Save yourself headaches and lost time and get some key items checked out before you are delayed.

- Battery Check – Your car may be starting fine now that is warmer. If your battery is down on is CCAs (Cold Cranking Amps) it may not start your car when the first cold snap occurs. Get your battery tested (should be a free service) to ensure your car starts up on that first cold morning.

- Coolant Check – How long has it been since you had your coolant tested or serviced? Can it protect your motor on our first cold night of the year? Don’t risk engine damage. Get your coolant checked and replace it if it can’t take the cold.

- Tires – Are your tires ready for winter driving? Are they inflated to the proper level? Do you have enough tread to keep you and your family safe on the slick winter roads? These are things to think about before the bad weather comes.

- Tire Life – Did you know your tires have a born date? When your tire is 6 years old, it is time to replace them or at 3/32 of tread.

- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) – Does your TPMS light come on in the morning and go off as you drive? You may want to consider filling your tires with nitrogen. The nitrogen inflation helps to smooth out the tire pressure swings related to air temperatures and helps minimize the TPMS light syndrome.

- Wipers – Are your wipers ready to handle to wet weather? If they have been on your car for a while, the summer dries them out. It may be time for a new set.

- Washer Fluid – Do you have new clean washer fluid in the reservoir, or have you been topping it off with water? If you have been adding the water, you will not be able to handle the first freeze. Your washer fluid is a safety item too; it helps you clean off you windshield when the car next to you splashes up the dirty water from the roads.