Fall/Winter Maintenance For Your Vehicle

 

Winter is fast approaching, and we want everyone to be ready for it. Here at Oakdale Collision, this is our busiest time of the year. As much as we love seeing our customers return, we also aim to make sure that you don’t have to. With every change of season, you should be inspecting your vehicle for required maintenance, and that list can sometimes feel endless. In order to give you a head start here’s our list of things you should be looking into before winter is officially here. 

• Check your tread. Better yet, install winter tires on your vehicle. However, if you have all-season tires, simply make sure that the tread is deep enough. Utilize the penny method; insert a penny headfirst into your tire tread. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, you need new tires. 
• Test your heat. In Minnesota, this is extremely important. Who wants to walk out to their car the first day of negatives and find their heat is broken?! Do yourself the favor now and turn that heat to the max to make sure it’s working to its best potential.
• Check your brake systems! This is yet another important part of our fall maintenance. Make sure you get a proper idea of how your brakes are functioning, when they may need to be replaced, and that you can stop in a matter of seconds. Winter is full of slick roads and traffic so make sure that your brakes are in their best shape before you’re in a bad situation. 
• How are your headlights? Everybody always talks about rock chips in the paint, and your windshield, but your headlights can also chip. After long use, the headlight covers often get scratched and dingy, giving them a dimmer appearance. This is unsafe in the dark, and even scarier in the winter. There are kits online you can order to improve your line of sight, among many other options we can discuss with you.
• Check all your fluids. Windshield washer fluid will freeze in our temperatures, so make sure you replace the old with one that has a low freeze point. This is also a good time to check your oil and look into your fuel efficiency. Motor oil is also affected by low temperatures and can become thicker and cloggy when cold which affects performance.
• When is the last time you replaced your battery? This one will negate all other maintenance if ignored. Batteries lose power over the course of their lives, and weaker batteries are more likely not to work when the negative temps arrive. Check your connectors, and battery life now to save you the frostbite later. 

There’s a long list of maintenance you should be tending to for your vehicle year-round, but this is our mini-list to help you maintain now. The sooner you get started on your list, the sooner you will find the larger pieces of maintenance lingering. As always, if you ever have any questions about your vehicle, contact us. We are always happy to help!

 

 

It's Road Trip Time

We’re all (not so) patiently awaiting summer, spending our days dreaming of all the great adventures we’re going to have. Whether it’s finally replacing the furnace in your house, or flying around the world, there has to be time for a little road trip somewhere in the middle. If you’re like me, you’re planning on packing as much in when the weather permits as possible. One of the best parts of living in the continental United States is the ability to take off for a couple days in your car, and not worry about where the road takes you.

In the spirit of summer, here is a list of things to look into before you venture out into the unknown.

• Know the basics of your car. While this is advised for everyday life, it’s most important when you’re going to be in your vehicle for long periods of time. You should be well versed in the language of your car, from things like random noises the rear windshield wiper makes to what each dash light signifies, you want to be read up and ready for anything thrown your way.
• Learn some road trip games. There are tons out there, from car bingo to 20 questions. Make something up if you have to, but try and keep yourself entertained while traveling from point A to point B. The more you’ve read up on, the more fun you’ll have.
• Check out your tires! They need to be in good shape for this road trip, depending on how far your adventure takes you. Make sure that you have substantial tread and that the tire pressure is as stated in the manual.
• Three things; first aid kit, tool kit, emergency contacts. Keep all of these in your vehicle for this trip, and preferably year round. You’ll need to make sure you have a list of your emergency contacts in case of an accident. The first aid kit and tool kit are pretty self explanatory, but keep them around because you never know when you’ll get a flat or need a band-aid!
• Audiobooks, playlists and podcasts, oh my! The road can be long and boring if you’re not properly prepared. Keep you and your buddies in great spirits by supplying a fun and unique list of things to listen to throughout your adventure.
• Last but not least, food. This is an important one, you’re going to be swayed into eating poorly while on the road. Gas stations offer all kinds of short term sugar pick me ups, but with every sugar rush, there’s an equally tough crash. Pack high protein and high fiber snacks so you can keep on truckin’.
  

Road trips are a great way to make long lasting memories with your family or friends. Don’t sweat the small stuff, there’s bound to be a convenience store between stops, but try to focus on what the whole point of this trip is about memories. So get out there and experience life on the road, even if it’s just for a little bit.