When was the last time you had your tires rotated? Or your oil changed? In a busy world, it can be easy to forget about routine maintenance for your vehicle. For most of us, we just hop in our car and use it to get where we need to go. But servicing your car is important not just to make sure it’s ready to go whenever you need it, but also to help increase its longevity. By staying on top of your maintenance schedule you can make sure your car is in top operating condition, which can help extend its life and also ensure that you and those you love are safe from sudden maintenance-related issues. Servicing Your Car for the Winter: 5 Things to Keep in Mind 1. Tire care—checking pressure and tread When was the last time you checked the pressure on your cars’ tires? Keep in mind that low pressure on your vehicle’s tires can lead to uneven wear, and shorten the overall life of the tires. Low tire pressure can also be dangerous, leading to poor or uneven traction on the road. Especially with changing weather coming up as we enter fall and winter, it’s important to make sure the pressure is good in your tires. By getting your car serviced, you can have tire pressure, as well as tread, checked out by a professional. Another thing you may want to request is to have your tires rotated. As a general rule of thumb, tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles to ensure even wear across all four tires. 2. Change your oil Many of us have a little sticker on the inside of our dashboard reminding us when we last had our oil changed, and when we’ll need to change it again. But there’s a few things to note. First, that sticker won’t help if you don’t remember to check it—so go ahead and read what it says to make sure you’re not overdue for an oil change. And second, the sticker just provides basic guidelines for when your next oil change will be needed. Each car is different, and it’s not a bad idea to check the oil yourself to make sure you have enough to let your car keep operating safely. How to Check Your Oil To check your oil, wait until your car is completely cool (don’t check it right after you drive it, or the oil will be hot and expanded). Pull out the dipstick, wipe it down with a paper towel or cloth, and then stick the dipstick back in. Now look at the dipstick and see where the oil line is. If it’s at or above the line needed to indicate you have sufficient oil, then you’re good to go; if it’s below, it’s time to get more oil. 3. Check your wiper blades If it hasn’t rained much lately you may not have needed to use your wiper blades, but with colder weather coming on it’s a good idea to double-check them to make sure they work. Wiper blades can slowly wear out just from being exposed to the elements. A good rule of thumb is to replace your blades every six months to a year. If you’re unsure whether the wiper blades on your car are approaching the end of their life, ask a professional during your next car service to inspect your blades and see what their advice is for replacing them. 4. Check and freshen your fluids When the weather starts getting colder the fluids in your car can get thicker, which can make them move more slowly through the engine. Right now is a good time to double-check all the fluids in your car to make sure they’re both clean and topped off. Especially if you live somewhere with extreme changes in temperature, it’s a good idea to drain and replace your car’s coolant. This is because coolant has water added to it, and the ratio of water to coolant will usually be higher in the summer than during the winter. In the summer, the ratio of water to coolant should be 50:50. In the winter, the ratio of water to coolant should be 40:60. 5. Check your heaters and defrosters Given that we’re just now entering fall, you may not have had a need for using the heater or defroster in your car. Go ahead and turn them on now, before you really need them, to make sure they’re working properly. The last thing you want is to find out they’re not working on a cold morning when you’re running late for work, or trying to get your kids to school. Want to get ahead of the game? Schedule your car for service right now.
