In Phoenix, our winters are milder than other parts of the country; however, much like the need to change out your wardrobe for chillier days and nights ahead, your vehicle might also need a cold-weather makeover. The change of weather should be an indication and reminder to you that your car needs maintenance to ensure it is ready for the winter season ahead. Preparing your vehicle for winter can save you money down the road and prevent an unexpected breakdown and/or even an accident.
Preparing your Vehicle for Winter
Proper winter car preparation can keep you from being stranded and stuck out in the cold in the cooler months ahead. While in Phoenix, we don’t have to worry about 8 feet of snow and putting winter tires on our vehicle’s, there are things we should do to prepare our cars, trucks, and SUVs for the colder temperatures.
Let’s review some tips for preparing your vehicle for winter.
- Check Your Battery: Car batteries tend to die in the winter due to the added strain placed on them by cold weather and changing temperatures. Before winter is in full force, test your battery and check the terminals for corrosion or other obvious issues. Car batteries, like all batteries, have a finite lifespan. Batteries deteriorate over time until they can no longer provide enough power to start the vehicle’s engine. This wear time could take three to five years. The vehicle’s usage pattern and weather are contributing factors to the rate at which a battery will age.
- Test Your Tire Pressure: Tire pressure can be an issue during the winter due to the colder temperatures. As it gets colder, even if just throughout the night, your tires can lose pressure. Improper tire pressure reduces control of the car in all conditions, proper inflation is especially important in bad and wet conditions.
- Inspect Coolant/Antifreeze Levels: Antifreeze is essential for keeping your engine at the right temperatures to prevent overheating. Coolant/antifreeze also keeps your vehicle’s engine from freezing in cold temperatures, so it’s important to ensure that yours is at the proper levels before the colder weather sets in.
- Have Your Brakes Checked: Your brakes can be under much more strain during the winter months than the rest of the year, especially if we hit low temperatures. You should have your brakes checked before the season begins to make sure they have enough life in them for the next several months. If they are starting to wear out, replace them prior to winter.
- Replace Your Wiper Blades: Because wiper blades and windshield washer fluid is essential to your vision and you being able to safely drive, you should always ensure you have a good set of them and your fluid is full. This is especially important in winter when more road debris and slush can cause obstructions to your vision. You never know when we could get an unexpected snowfall.
- Ensure All Lights Work: The winter months bring foggy and shorter days, so it’s important to ensure your headlights, brake lights, and all other exterior lights on your vehicle are in working condition.
Preparing your vehicle for winter is much easier in Phoenix than other areas of the country; however, it is still important for your vehicle’s longevity and your safety.
At Advanced Transmissions & Emissions we can help you prepare your vehicle for winter and all year round.
Our Phoenix, AZ customers know us for our work with transmissions, but we can resolve any mechanical issues, including problems with clutches and all engine failures.
Our technicians understand cars, trucks, and SUVs inside and out, enabling them to address all makes and models’ problems. Most importantly, our team works quickly when we bring a car into our shop.
We understand your time is valuable, and we want to get you back on the road quickly. Contact us today.
