Winter is here and with the cold weather, the roads are often frozen, making driving treacherous. It is time to get your vehicle prepared for the arctic conditions ahead. Make sure your car, truck or SUV is ready with our winter car maintenance checklist. Always remember that your local Lithia Motors Service Center and factory-trained technicians are ready to prepare your vehicle for the frosty road ahead.
Winter Car Maintenance
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Winter Car Maintenance Checklist
Having a winter checklist for your car maintenance is important. After all, you'll be trekking through snow, ice and sleet to get to your holiday destinations to visit family and do holiday shopping, maybe even for a winter vacation. Our checklist includes changing the engine oil and filter and checking all fluids under the hood, checking your car's belts and hoses, checking the condition of your winter tires, checking your lights and wiper blades, making sure the heater and defroster are working properly, and preparing a winter emergency kit that is always with you. Let's get started.Change the Engine Oil and Check the Fluids
Before winter winds howl and temperatures drop, take your car into the Lithia Service Center near you for a winter inspection. We'll change the engine oil and oil filter, check your air filter, check the fluids in your transmission, brakes, power steering fluid, check and top off your antifreeze. Cold temperatures can make your engine oil thicken and reduce its performance. Fresh oil will keep your engine running strong through those frozen months.
Check the Belts and Hoses
Cold temperatures can also freeze the belts and hoses in your engine bay. Our factory-trained technicians will check for cracking or fraying of the belts and look for signs of wear and tear. We'll check all the engine hoses and brake lines. Rubber hoses wear out and crack. We'll check everything out and look for loose clamps and signs of wear or leaking. Remember that serpentine belts should be checked and replaced every 60,000 miles.
Check the Battery
Nothing is worse than going out to your car during the winter to find that it is unable to start because of a tired or dead battery. Cold weather forces the battery to work harder and reduces cranking amps. Our trained techs will test your battery, make sure it is fully charged, check your alternator to make sure it is charging properly, and replace the battery if needed.
Check the Defroster and Heater
Once the car has started, the first thing you generally do is turn on the heater and defroster to clear the windows and warm up the vehicle. While the car warms up, you can scrape the ice from the windshield and windows. We will test your car's heater and defroster to make sure both are working properly.
Check Tire Inflation and Condition
Your car's tires are the most important safety device on your vehicle. No one likes to slip and slide over icy roads. Let our technicians inspect your tires, checking for proper inflation. Cold temperatures can cause your tires to lose one PSI for every 10 degrees the temperature drops so the tire pressure needs to be checked once a month during winter. We'll check your tire pressure, the tires' treads for unusual wear patterns that could be signs that your car needs the tires to be rotated or that a front-end alignment is necessary. If you live in an area with extreme winters, you may want to switch to a set of winter tires.
Changing to Winter Tires
Winter tires offer better traction and are made using rubber compounds that can handle extreme cold. They grip the road better and stay flexible when temperatures fall below freezing. The tread patterns help to push water and snow away to maintain better traction on icy roads, giving you better control. Ask your Lithia Technician if a set of winter tires are right for your vehicle.
Check the Lights
The nights are longer in the winter months and winter storms diminish your ability to see, especially in conditions of sleet or snow. Our techs will check all the exterior lights on your vehicle to make sure they all function properly. This includes headlights, fog lights, taillights, turn signals, emergency flashers and backup lights. If any lights have burned out, we will replace them right away.Â
Replace Wiper Blades
Speaking of being able to see properly, your car's wiper blades really get a workout during winter months, scraping away ice when the car is cold and removing melting snow and rain during storms. Our techs will replace your wiper blades and check to make sure your wiper fluid reservoir is full of freeze-resistant fluid. Also, make sure you have at least one good quality snow brush and ice scraper in the trunk to remove ice from your windshield and windows before heading out.
Wax On
Before winter sets in, give your car a good wash and wax job. This will help to protect it from salted roads, ice and snow melt that can damage your car's finish.
Winter Emergency Kit
Lastly, it is best to be prepared for emergencies by keeping a Winter Emergency Kit in your vehicle. Your kit should include a bottle of drinking water and some snacks such as trail mix, a first-aid kit, traction mats and a bag of sand or kitty litter in the event you get stuck in the snow, a snow shovel, a blanket, a warm coat, gloves, hat, and scarves, a flashlight, an ice scraper, jumper cables, and road flares.
Make sure your spare tire is in proper working condition and that you have all the necessary tools and a tire jack in the event you have a blowout or flat.
Let Lithia Help
With over 300 dealerships and a Lithia Motors Service Center near you, let us get your car ready for winter and keep you safe because we want to keep you as a customer for life.
