12/18/2022
Winter Maintenance For Safe Driving
Winter is here and it is important that your vehicles can handle it for safe driving. Let’s start with being able to get into your vehicle in icy weather. This is important for anyone who parks outside in the weather.
Proper lubrication of locks, latches, hinges, window channels and weather stripping can prevent binding and freezing. All that is needed is dry Teflon spray, spray lithium grease, a rag and glass cleaner. You can do this easily yourself.
Start with the window channels. Lower the window glass and shoot dry Teflon spray down the front, rear and top window channels on each door. Soak the channels. Then run the window up and down several times to spread the l**e. Finally, raise the window and clean off overspray with glass cleaner.
Spray the door and trunk/hatch lock cylinders. Use the spray straw to force the lock "door" open. Then inject a quick shot of dry Teflon spray into the lock cylinder. Insert your key and rotate the lock to spread the l**e. An emergency key is located in the vehicle’s fob on newer vehicles that you can use for this procedure.
Next coat all the weather stripping with dry Teflon spray. Then spread it with a cloth. Finish the job by lubricating the hood, trunk or tailgate latches with lithium grease. Then spray the door hinges. Operate the latches and doors several times to spread the grease.
Driving on worn-out coolant is a bad idea all year-round, but it's especially bad in winter. Worn coolant can freeze and damage the engine. Fresh coolant prevents corrosion damage to the heater core, radiator and water pump. Once corrosion starts, the heater core plugs up and loses heat. If you can't remember the last time the coolant was changed, have it tested and if needed, change it to prevent expensive repairs later.
Have the battery and charging system checked to ensure they are in good running condition. On a cold winter night, or in bad weather, you will likely have headlights, wipers, heater/defroster and the rear window defogger running at the same time. This will put tremendous stress on the vehicle's electrical system. It’s important to have clean connections and a strong battery. Old and/or weak batteries can't handle frequent discharge/recharge cycles and can cause premature alternator failure. If the battery is four years old, or older, have it replaced. Even if the battery is not old, have it checked to make sure it is generating enough power.
No one wants to be stuck somewhere on a cold winter day waiting for a jump or tow truck. Check the battery cables and clamps for fraying or corrosion. If there's a white, powdery substance around the clamps, that's corrosion from battery acid which can be cleaned with baking soda, water and a toothbrush. Make sure the battery has enough fluid inside. Even though batteries today are “maintenance free”, this should always be checked. Most batteries have caps on top, and you can check the level by removing the caps. If it's low, fill the holes with distilled water, being careful not to fill past the bottom of the cap.
Belts and hoses should also be inspected. Cold temperatures can weaken belts and hoses, and if something snaps or breaks while out on the road, a tow truck will be the only way to get moving again.
Look up the manufacturer's recommendation for when to replace spark plugs in the vehicle. If its within 20 percent of that mileage, change them now for better starting all winter.
Low visibility can make driving in cold weather extremely dangerous, so it's important to make sure the wiper blades are up to par. Wiper blades are made out of rubber, and with time they'll crack, split and deteriorate. It's suggested that windshield wipers are replaced every six to twelve months.
Topping off your wiper fluid is also a plus when winterizing a vehicle, as fluid can assist in breaking up snow and ice on the windshield. Many drivers do not check their wiper fluid level and if the roads have been salted, without wiper fluid the visibility will be close to zero in no time.
If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow and/or freezing rain, replace your wiper blades with "winter wiper blades." Winter blades are covered in a rubber boot that prevents snow and ice from packing inside the squeegee's support arms. This keeps the windshield clean even in heavy snow.
Many vehicles now come with beam-style blades that don't have support arms. If the vehicle is equipped with this type of wiper blade, make sure they wipe without streaking. If you see streaks now, they'll only get worse as road salt and grit wear them down even more.
Check the lights on the vehicle. It is important that all of the lights on the vehicle (headlights, brake lights, turn signals, etc.) are working correctly. With the daylight hours so short, even in good weather chances are the lights will be needed when driving more often than during the rest of the year, so it is important that they are all working to increase visibility and vehicle safety.
The UV coating on plastic headlights degrades over time and the lenses turn cloudy, reducing road illumination by 70 percent. If you have a vehicle with this problem, bring it into your ATL Total Car Care Center to get it fixed.
Windshields fog up in the winter due to moisture from inside the car condensing on the glass. Defrosters solve this problem by blowing warm, dry air over the glass. If there's a problem with too much fogging, we will be happy to fix the issue for you.
These are just a few recommendations for keeping your vehicle safe and on the road this winter. Your local Babcock's Complete Auto Care Center will be happy to assist you with your winterizing needs.
Wishing you a happy and safe holiday season and 2023.
