Fall Car Care Tips

Fall is a great time to pull out your owner’s manual and make a list of scheduled preventative maintenance. Winter is weeks away and getting your car in tip-top shape now, may help prevent unexpected problems when the weather turns cold. Whether you do the work yourself or enlist the help of a professional auto repair shop or local mechanic you’ll be glad you did.

Some basic items to look for are:

Battery – Check the age of your battery and look over the connections. How old is your battery? Are the connections clean? Or getting corroded?

Belts & Hoses – Cracked and worn belts and hoses are usually reasonable to replace and they are crucial to keep everything operating smoothly.

Filters – Filters are underappreciated for their importance in extending the life of your vehicle’s engine. Fuel filter, oil filter and air filter all need to be replaced on schedule to maximize performance.

Fluids – Changing and topping off your oil, anti-freeze and other fluids save you loads of trouble in the long run.  Take care of it now, and you won’t be under the hood, out in the cold.

Headlights and tail lights – It seems like as soon as the weather turns cold headlights and tail lights burn out. Check yours to make sure they are working properly.  

Tires – Tires are maybe the most important safety item on your car. Keep them aired up, rotated and replaced as necessary. Inspect them for punctures, embedded items, and other types of damage. Most tire shops offer free air checks and they have tools to measure your tread and an expert eye for knowing what abnormal tire wear looks like. Find a tire repair shop you trust and visit them frequently.

Wiper Blades & Windshield Wiper Solvent – Invest is good quality wiper blades. You won’t believe the difference they make in rain and slushy driving conditions and top off your solvent. Visibility is key when the roads turn treacherous.

Once you’ve taken care of all of your preventative maintenance items and your car is in tip-top shape and ready for winter, celebrate with a great road trip to see the fall colors up north or find a great local harvest festival and head over for the weekend. You can rest easy knowing that when winter weather hits, you’ll keep cruising right along!