Every year around this time, we get loads of clients that would like their car checked out and prepared for winter. As you know, winter can be quite hard on your vehicle, and safety wise, you need to be very careful when driving in winter conditions. Probably the most critical thing to keep in mind is your tires. Make sure your tires are inflated to the correct pressure specified for your vehicle, and that there is plenty of depth left on your tire treads. If your tires are getting low on tread depth, they will not displace water and debris as needed.

Make sure your windshield wipers are working correctly, and that your wiper blades are clearing the windshield as needed. Wiper blades are not expensive, and we install them at no charge to our clients. If there is any question about what shape they’re in, they are well worth changing.

Be sure to check that all the lights on your vehicle are working, and don’t forget to make sure your hazard lights are functioning. You never know when you may need your hazard lights, so this is crucial.

We tend to get a lot of vehicles in with leaking sunroofs and clogged drains throughout the car. Make sure to check all of your door seals, clean all of your sunroof channels, and water drain locations throughout the vehicle. The last thing you want is water leaking on you and your vehicle’s computer system. Getting wet is never a lot of fun, but damaging a computer can be very costly.

Due to extreme cold in winter, it’s always a good idea to have your battery load tested. If your battery is marginal on the load test, you’ll want to change it. Batteries do not like cold weather and extreme cold weather can kill a marginal battery.

You’ll also want to check that your cooling system is mixed with 50% water and 50% antifreeze. If it’s not, there’s a high chance of your cooling system freezing and doing damage to the cooling system and engine. If there is any question about the mixture ratio, it’s best to have your cooling system serviced.