Is Your Car Ready for Winter?

As fall moves into winter, make sure your vehicle is as prepared for the cold as you are. At Lake City Auto Care, we offer a winter prep check service to make sure your car reliably gets you where you need to go all winter long. Issues that create a minor inconvenience in the summer can be catastrophic and dangerous during the winter months. Read on to find out what systems in your vehicle need attention before the weather gets cold.

Antifreeze and Coolant

If the coolant in your vehicle is over 50% water when the temperature drops below freezing, both your cooling system and the engine can sustain catastrophic damage. Frozen water expands, and the cooling ports in your engine are not able to accommodate expansion. The result will be a cracked engine block and an expensive repair bill.

Windshield Washer Fluid

In a blizzard on the highway not having windshield washer fluid can be extremely dangerous. Slush, mud, and snow kicked up from other vehicles can quickly reduce your visibility. When the road conditions are already bad, the last thing you need to worry about is a dirty windshield.

Battery Health

In the winter, being stranded in the cold by a dead battery can be serious. Ensuring your battery is healthy enough to start your car in the coldest temperatures is one of the most essential items to check before winter starts.

Oil Change

Starting your vehicle in the cold puts a lot of stress on the motor. Before the temperatures drop, it is important to have your oil and filter changed to ensure proper lubrication on cold starts. This winterization step will help extend the life of your vehicle by reducing the wear and tear on engine components on cold starts in the seconds before the oil has been disbursed throughout the block.

Tires

One of the biggest dangers in winter weather driving is lack of traction. Properly inflated snow tires will make your vehicle handle better, accelerate quicker, and brake faster on the slushiest and iciest roads. If you aren’t getting new tires, making sure the tires with the deepest tread are on the rear of the car will keep your vehicle in your lane when going around turns. Additionally, your spare tire should be checked for proper inflation and condition before the snow flies. Getting a flat in the cold without a functional spare can spell disaster.

Brakes

An inspection of your rotors, pads, and brake fluid before winter will ensure you can stop quickly and safely while driving on slippery roads. Worn pads are a safety issue on dry summer roads, and this issue is only amplified in the winter. If your pads are worn out or brake fluid is leaking, get your brakes serviced.

Let our technicians help

At Lake City Auto Care, we know the importance of properly winterizing your car or truck. Our technicians will look your vehicle over bumper to bumper and make sure you are prepared to safely drive in the worst winter weather conditions we see in Northern Idaho. Give us a call or schedule an appointment at one of our three locations today!