Regardless if you’ve just purchased a new or used car, or have the same trusty machine that has served you well for many years, you want to ensure it continues to provide you with years of worry free driving. With fall and winter driving conditions on the way, we recommend you take some time to make sure your car is well cared for and ready for conditions ahead.
Five Car Care Tips + a Bonus:
We visited carecare.org and compiled a list of five items you should pay attention to as we head into winter driving season. If you’re not comfortable doing these items yourself, make sure to find a qualified local automotive professional to do them for you. If you need some ideas, give us a call and we’ll point you in the right direction.
We should note, all of these items will have been checked when you purchase a used car from National Car & Truck Sales, however it’s always a good idea to check your other vehicles, or set an annual reminder to do this for your new-to-you vehicle next year.
1) Take Care of Your Vehicles Battery
Winter weather can be hard on batteries. Keep the battery and charging system in good shape by ensuring the terminals are clean and connections are tight. If you’re batter is more than 3 years old, have it checked by a professional and maybe consider getting it replaced. The last thing you want is to be stuck because your battery has tanked.
2) Stay Warm and See Where You’re Going
Heater, Defroster and Wiper Blades should get the once over. You’ll want to ensure you are warm and comfortable and that your defroster is working well to clear the condensation from your windshield. One of the easiest and cost effective fixes is to replace you wiper blades. New wiper blades will keep the windshield clear and make it much easier to see what’s in front of you.
3) Check Your Tread
Probably the most important safety item when it comes to keeping your car on the road. When we hit the fall and winter on Vancouver Island, the roads get wet and slippery with lots of rain and occasional snow. Make sure your tires are inflated to the correct tire pressure and give a quick visual to the tread on your tires. Here’s a great resource on how to check your tread depth.
If you’re unsure if your tires need attention, get them checked by a professional and deal with any issues before you find yourself sliding across the road.
4) Put On The Brakes
Tires keep you planted to the road, brakes will keep you out of trouble. Have a professional check your brakes during your next oil change. Ensure brake linings are in good shape, rotors and drums are true and all brake lines are in good shape. It’s a quick check that you should always have done.
5) Tune Up Time
Winter weather is hard on vehicles and their engines. If you have any issues with rough idling, pinging or general slugishness, take your vehicle in for a tune up. This is also a great time to have your coolant flushed and replaced if needed, which should be done every two years at minimum.
BONUS: Keep a Tab On Your Maintenance
We found a great little tool on the carcare.org website that allows you to build a Custom Service Schedule. Once you’ve registered, you can store your maintenance history as well as receive automated reminders for maintenance and event get information on recall notices and more.
Now that your vehicle is ready for all the road trips possible, here are some great driving routes on Vancouver Island you could check out.