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!

 

 

Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter

Winter is on it’s way, and just like with your home or your attire, your car needs to be prepared to survive the cold weather we’re about to face. The snow and cold brings about lots of new challenges for your day to day life, and is about to bring a bit of havoc to your vehicle.Preparation is the key to getting you and your family through this winter safe, warm and happy.

 

Put together an emergency kit. This is a good tip for year round travel, but should be edited a bit to include items you’ll need to survive in case of a break down mid-winter. Your kit should include these basics: a change of clothes, a first-aid kit, road flares, a flashlight, a bag of sand, an ice scraper, extra pairs of gloves, and some high protein snacks like nuts or jerky. It’s a good idea to keep an insulated poncho and hand warmers in this kit as well, to try and stay warm.

Do a thorough check of your antifreeze and coolant levels. Make sure to look at all the fluid levels in your vehicle, but these especially. Antifreeze does what it’s name says - keeps your engine from freezing in the dead of winter. It’s best to check these before you make trips, and to look at your vehicle's manual to verify you’ve got the proper level and mixture.

If you don’t have them already, switch to an all season or your winter tires to face the icy roads. Regardless of the tires on your vehicle, check to make sure that you have proper tread depth and tire pressure. Tire pressure can be checked with simple tools from auto stores, and if you’re unsure check with someone at your local auto parts clerk to verify where your vehicle should be at. You can test your tread depth by performing the “Lincoln test.” Insert a penny with Lincoln’s head pointed towards your tread, if you can see all of his head it’s time to replace your tires.

The next time you take your car in for an oil change, switch to winter grade oil. The colder it is outside, the thinner you want the oil in your vehicle. While you’re at it, switch your windshield wiper fluid to a winter-grade option. It will help keep your fluid from freezing on your windshield when you need to wash off all that road salt.

If you do nothing else on this list, at least make sure to include an emergency kit for the winter. Accidents happen, and it could mean the difference between life or death for you and your loved ones if you’re stranded. Drive save this winter and stay warm!