Regular, routine maintenance can help improve your gasoline mileage, reduce pollution, and catch minor problems before they become big headaches,
Below Are Our Recommendations In Getting Your Vehicle Ready For Winter:
- First things first. read your owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s recommended service schedules by time. It’s imperative to maintain your vehicle regularly to ensure it is in tip-top shape!
- Have our ASE Certified technicians test your vehicle for any driveability problems. — rough idling, hard starts, stalling, lack of power, etc — Cold weather makes existing problems worse.
- Have your brakes checked for safety and to prevent costly repairs that can be caused by neglect. Brakes, Suspension systems, ABS & Traction Control are huge safety components of your vehicle – better to be safe than sorry.
- Have your battery & starting charging system checked. Have our professionals use our state-of-the-art equipment to test your battery and starting charging system to ensure you don’t get stranded on those rainy winter nights.
- Inspect all belts and tensionsers. The tightness and condition of drive belts, clamps, and hoses also should be checked regularly by our ASE Certified Technician.
- Inspect all fluid levels and conditions. Transmission, coolant & power steering fluids are all crucial to a well maintained vehicle. If you neglect to inspect those,
- Replace dirty filters, A poorly running engine is less efficient and burns more gasoline.
- The cooling system should be flushed as recommended. The level and condition of the coolant should be checked periodically.
- Worn tires are dangerous in winter weather. Examine tires for remaining tread life, uneven wearing, and cupping, and check your tire pressure periodically – don’t forget about your spare, and be sure your jack is in good working condition. We recommend you rotate every other oil service. Under-inflated tires or poorly aligned wheels makes your engine work harder and thus use excess gasoline.
- Replace old blades regularly and inspect washer systems. Make sure your wipers work flawlessly, and fill up on windshield washer solvent — you’ll be surprised how much you use during the winter months.
- Inspect all vehicle lights and bulbs. Replace burned out bulbs and periodically inspect to make sure they are all working properly.
- The heater and defroster must be in good working condition for passenger comfort and driver visibility.
- The transmission is often neglected until a major failure. Routine checks and fluid changes at prescribed intervals can prevent very costly repairs down the line.
- All Wheel Drive & 4X4 Vehicles — Test for operation ahead of time to ensure all is functioning properly.
- Change your oil and oil filter as specified – We recommend every 3,000 miles for conventional and 6,000 for synthetic oil services — Regular oil and filter changes is one of the most frequently neglected services, yet one that is essential to protect your engine.
- Find out what your insurance covers. Roadside assistance, towing, etc. – It can be stressful at the time of breakdown. Make sure you educate yourself before hand in case those emergencies arise.
- Always carry an emergency kit with you: extra gloves, boots and blankets; ice scraper & jumper cables, flares; emergency kit; a flashlight and extra batteries; and a cell phone and extra car charger. Put a few “high-energy” snacks in your glove box.