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The Best Car Maintenance Tips for the Winters

car maintenance tips

Winter is hard on the vehicle and the conditions make it prone to damage everywhere from the engine and body to your auto glass.  Ensure your car stays reliable with these top 10 car maintenance tips for the winter.

Car Maintenance Tips to Keep You Running

 

1.     Install Winter Tires ASAP

Winter tires save lives. The tread on winter tires adds traction, so if they are well inflated they grip better on slippery surfaces. Embracing the most routine of car maintenance tips will keep both you and your car safe this winter.

2.     Top Up Your Oil

Your oil levels allow your car’s engine to operate at peak performance. While keeping your oil at appropriate levels is important at all times, it’s absolutely vital during the winter. Check your levels and ensure that you buy the correct oil type for your vehicle.

3.     Check Your Radiator’s Anti-Freeze Levels

Your radiator regulates your transmission, so keeping it running is incredibly important. Avoid leaks due to freezing liquids and transmission failure by using quality anti-freeze at the correct level for your vehicle. You can purchase anti-freeze at most garages.

4.     Ensure Your Battery is Good for the Next Six Months

You don’t want to be caught in the cold with a car that won’t start. Check your battery’s charge either with a voltage monitor or at your local garage. Your battery should measure between 13.7-14.7 volts. If the voltage is correct, monitor how regular the car’s operations are when you start the car every now and then.

5.     Get Your Heaters in Working Order

During the warmer months, most of us don’t touch the interior heaters, but it is a much-appreciated feature once temperatures dip below freezing and you have an hour commute to work. Turn your heaters on and make sure they work before this happens.

6.     Check or Replace Your Windshield Wipers

Cars kick up sludge and salt and smear across the windshield and falling precipitation common to most of North America during the winter months obstruct visibility. If your windshield wipers are peeling or scraping your windshield it’s time to replace them before the worst of winter begins.

7.     Buy Anti-Ice or Cold Weather Windshield Fluid

Save your windshield and visibility by getting windshield fluid that works in cold weather. This will allow you to clear sludge and other assorted winter debris from your windshield in below-freezing temperatures.

8.     Check Your Windshield for Cracks

These will only worsen in the cold weather. Salt and rocks risk chipping and expanding cracks while major temperature fluctuations weaken the structural integrity of the auto glass. Both of these can lead to your windshield shattering. Avoid this by getting your windshield checked by auto glass professionals before the temperature drops.

9.     Consider an Anti-Ice Treatment

This is a huge time saver. If professionals treat your windshield with an anti-ice or hydrophobic treatment ice will not form on your window. Say goodbye to scraping and potential damage caused by the formation or removal of ice on your windshield.

10.  Get Your Car Checked by Professionals

If you noticed a theme in these tips, it’s that you need to get everything checked. Be sure to entrust the correct professionals with each aspect. A mechanic can tell you if your car is safe to operate during the winter and an auto glass technician can tell you if your glass is safe or needs repair.

Be Prepared this Winter with These Car Maintenance Tips

Don’t let winter catch you off guard this year. Get ready by following the above instructions. Get through the long cold season without nasty surprises. Any auto glass winter-related needs can be met by High-Tech Auto Glass, the best windshield repair in Pheonix, AZ.