Five Tips to Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter Driving
1. Switch to Synthetic Oil
On a cold start up, conventional oils are thick and don’t flow as well as a high-quality synthetic will. By switching to synthetic oil, you can ensure your vehicle's engine and drivetrain are well lubricated on those cold mornings. This will help these components last decades when routine maintenance is performed with quality synthetic oils.
2. Use Additives and Flushes
Fluid additives can help protect the internal moving parts of your vehicle’s engine and drivetrain in temperature extremes. Flushes will take away the contamination left behind by neglected maintenance and years of use. As the wise old saying goes, “Prevention is the best medicine.”
3. Change Antifreeze
Neglected antifreeze can cause major engine damage. Have the freeze point checked and flushing the cooling system routinely will prevent freezing, ensure proper cooling of the engine and to prevent heater core failure during the time of year you need it most!
4. Fix the Leaks
Leaks can be a silent killer if not repaired. We see a lot of major repairs that started out as just a leak, but over time turn into a failed component due to a lack of lubrication and cooling offered by the fluid that is no longer there! Save yourself money in the long run by catching these small leaks and having them fixed before they turn into big problems.
5. Have Routine Maintenance Inspections Performed
Having a routine maintenance inspection done a couple times a year or every oil change is a key to catching problems while they are small and staying on top of your preventative maintenance schedule.