Seven Services Your Car Needs Before Winter Sets In

Snow and winter. You probably won’t see one without the other (well, maybe last year, but I doubt we will be fortunate enough to have another warm winter…). Even famously sunny Florida gets its share of snow – 14 snow “events” in the state since 2000, after only 23 snow “events” during the entire 20^th century!

People across the country will be pulling out the sweaters, firing up the boilers and turning up the thermostat in preparation for the coming cold weather, but its also a good time to think about your car. After all, just because it’s cold outside, with a few flurries in the air, doesn't mean you’ll stop driving altogether.

With that in mind, we give you seven services you should have done on your car before winter sets in for good. (Lucky for you, most of these services are often performed at little or no cost as part of an oil change and inspection at our Hare Chevrolet Service Department!)

1.  Freshen the Oil – Motor oil has two tough jobs: It has to beat the heat during the summer while it protects your engine, and it has to flow quickly during winter’s cold temperatures to lubricate your car’s engine when it first cranks up.
2. Check the Cool – Ever filled a glass bottle full of water, screwed the top on tight, and then put it in the freezer to see what would happen? It’s not good, don’t try it. (But if you must know, it explodes!) Imagine what can happen inside your engine and radiator if the water/antifreeze mixture isn't strong enough to prevent it from freezing in cold weather. Before the mercury dips, have your antifreeze strength tested, and consider replacing the old antifreeze if it may be too weak to handle the winter.
3. Top the Wash – Like antifreeze, your windshield washer fluid is a special blend of alcohol and water that resists freezing Make sure to have your fluid topped off before welcoming wet wintry weather to your neck of the woods, because the last thing you want to find when trying to wash your windshield on a cold morning is frozen washer fluid.
4. Switch the Blades – Your windshield wipers took a beating during the looooong, hot summer and the summer wears down the rubber. That means your wipers may not work as well in the winter as you would like, an important safety consideration since most areas of the country receive at least some wintry precipitation. Consider having your wiper blades replaced now (which Hare Chevrolet’s Parts Department can help you with!) so they keep your vision unimpaired when that first snowstorm hits.
5. Crank the Juice – Mechanics often say batteries die in summer and are buried in winter. That means excess summer heat begins to degrade a battery’s ability to generate enough electricity to get your car started, and when the cold weather of winter makes cranking even harder, the battery simply isn’t up to the task. Fortunately, today’s high-tech battery testers can quickly and easily tell what shape your car’s battery is in, allowed you to head off possible cranking difficulties before you find yourself stranded in the cold.
6. Flush It – Did you know it actually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere in normal conditions? When the temperature drops and seals get brittle, even more water can diffuse its way into the brake fluid. Eventually the brake fluid can become so contaminated, the brake pedal may feel mushy and unresponsive. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you have your brake fluid tested, and the system flushed if necessary. It’s also a good time for a technician to examine your car’s brake pads, rotors and other brake components to confirm they are in good condition. After all, you want reliable stopping power when it’s slippery outside.
7. Tread Carefully – The only thing keeping your car on the road is four tiny patches of rubber, each about the size of your hand. If your tires are worn, the channels that move water away from those contact patches may not be big enough to function like they’re supposed to, leaving you with less traction. Not a good thing. So give your tires the once-over to make sure the tread has adequate life left.

*Article compiled from go.drive magazine and Hare Chevrolet Service Department