Winter Car Maintenance Tips

Keeping your vehicle running at peak performance is challenging during the winter months, but these tips can save anxiety down the road by preventing emergency situations.

1. Regular maintenance. Sounds like a broken record, we know, yet regular maintenance on your vehicle, whether it’s a car, truck, SUV or EV keeps your wheels on the road and saves you from breakdowns and engine damage. Our pre-winter seasonal checkups and maintenance schedules prepare you for winter challenges. As always, we recommend regular oil and filter changes, and appointments with our techs when you hear weird noises not emitting from the radio. You know what your vehicle sounds like after all those years of driving it, and if you hear anything that sounds like a problem, it probably is. We can’t vouch for your radio station, but we know how to problem-solve engine trouble.

2. Check your tire pressure often. Checking your tire pressure once a week is a great idea, your tires can lose one pound of pressure with every ten degree drop in temperature. Driving on underinflated tires can lead to premature wear, tread separation and blowouts.

3. Protect your paint and wipers. Add a protective layer of wax to guard against road salt and high-pressure wash your car when temperatures allow to remove caustic material. Wash hard to reach areas like the underbody of your car, and wheel wells. Install seasonal winter wipers and scrape the windows with an ice scraper, not your wiper blades.

4. Keep your fuel tank half full. An important emergency preparedness tip. Just in case you go off the road (you have roadside assistance right?) and need to stay warm until your rescue unit arrives. We all try to stay safe, working at home, behind masks, and planning trips according to the latest weather reports, but life happens and some of us, like our valued essential service workers, need to travel daily, no matter the weather or road conditions. Communication is everything when you’re in roadside trouble, so make sure your cell phone is charged to 100% before you leave and keep your recharge kit handy. Keeping your winter driving survival/emergency kit up to date and packed in your trunk is always a good idea.

5. Have your battery checked. This is a must-do and part of our regular pre-winter seasonal checklist, but if you missed your appointment this year, make sure your battery is in good running order so you don’t get stuck out in the cold (not fun). You have jumper cables in your winter survival pack and road flares, but batteries, like all car parts have a limited lifespan. To be fully prepared for winter, keep your battery in good repair and up to date. We test and replace batteries if you need help in this regard.

Well folks, there’s a few tips to keep you safe on the road for the next six weeks or so of winter, and then spring is on the horizon! Questions? If you have any questions regarding your vehicle, our services, and how we can help you keep your car in peak condition, give us a call. We’d love to chat with you over the phone, and book your appointment for vehicle repairs and maintenance in Kamloops when you need our services.