Winter Car Care Tips
Winter in Canton, CT can get pretty cold. Nobody wants to have car trouble, and that’s doubly so with snow on the ground. Here are some quick tips to help your car stay at it’s best through the season.
We’ve all heard it. Lower your tire pressure for better traction in the winter. The first thing to share is DON’T DO THIS. Your tires are the connection between your car and the road. They should be at the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure all year round. Lowering your tire pressure causes uneven wear and prevents the tires from shedding water correctly. These are both bad situations to put yourself in any time of year, much less during the winter.
You can do something with your wheels though. You can get a wheel alignment. Getting your wheels properly aligned will improve traction. With roads getting covered by ice and snow any bit of extra traction available is a good thing. A wheel alignment is an easy way to gain some extra traction. Not only traction, but you also increase tire life by reducing uneven wear, and your car will handle better with aligned wheels than without.
If you’ve ever had to call a lock-out service you know how long it can take. This time of year takes that a step further by making the wait happen in the cold. The best way to avoid getting locked out, other than making sure you always have your keys on you, is to keep your car in a garage. The warmer temperatures in garages help prevent ice, which is the main reason people need a lock-out service in the winter. In your garage at home you can leave it unlocked as a second line of defense.
Winter can magnify problems your car may already have. Heading into the colder temperatures and harsher weather conditions is a great time to get a tune-up. Some important things to have checked include the oil and coolant, especially in colder states like Connecticut. Some people even like to get a different oil in their cars during the winter, to assist with cold starts. The coolant plays a vital role in heating the car’s cabin, so even though it seems counter-intuitive, making sure that system is 100% is vital in the winter.
If your car isn’t properly prepped for winter expensive repairs can result. Contact Collinsville Auto Repair help you prepare your vehicle for the long cold winter ahead. Our honest ASE-certified technicians will help you spend the right money now to prevent spending a lot of money on auto repairs later.
