Summer is winding down, Fall is on the way and as the seasons change they bring a new set of challenges and considerations for drivers and their vehicles. While the winter – and the challenging weather and driving conditions – it brings may still be a while away now is the perfect time to get your car or truck ready for the cooler weather challenges that lie ahead.
Here then are some practical tips to help get your car ready for fall.
Check the Brakes and Tires
Bad weather – especially snow and ice – call for great stopping power. This means it’s crucial that your tires and brakes are up to the task. Schedule them a checkup at your local auto shop and if you are told your tires or brakes need work (or replacing) …get it done now. Stalling for the sake of saving a few bucks can be a disastrous decision, maybe even a fatal one.
Check ALL the Lights
Most people do check their headlights at the end of the summer because they do realize how important it is, both for themselves and other drivers on the road, that their headlights function well when snow, ice, and fog set in and reduce visibility.
The fact is though you should check ALL of your vehicle’s lights. That means checking the taillights, parking lights, brake lights and even the emergency flashers. You all need to take the time to clean them all (chances are that there are more than a few bug carcasses on those backlights) and if you own an older vehicle with sealed-beam headlamps, you might want to invest in halogen lamps for improved visibility and safer driving.
Check and Replace Wiper Blades
The purpose of wiper blades is to completely clear the windshield. Cracked or worn blades just cannot do that, and in Fall or Winter that can be a very dangerous thing. Check each blade’s rubber to ensure it is flexible and operate the wipers to see that the blades clear the glass. If they don’t, replace them now.
Make Sure Heater/defroster Works
Driving in the Fall – and especially the winter – without a properly working heater isn’t fun and it really isn’t safe either because driving with fogged-up windows is an accident waiting to happen. Check both the front and rear window defrosters to ensure they are in proper working condition. If necessary, have heater and defroster systems repaired now, rather than waiting until the temperatures really start to drop.
Check Your Battery
Winters are challenging for even the best car battery so if yours is not quite up to the task anymore the time to replace it is NOW. And as it’s always better to be safe than sorry have it installed by a trained technician so that everything is done just right. While you are out hit the auto parts store too, to pick up a self-contained battery charger. They are now very inexpensive and there really is nothing worse than waiting by the side of the road on a cold night with a cold, dead battery hoping that someone with jumper cables will happen along.
Get a Full Oil Change
Even if you are not quite at the recommended oil change time get one done now anyway. Oil can freeze when the temperatures drop, but the cleaner it is, the less likely it is to do so. And while that’s being done get the levels of all your essential fluids checked (which most good auto shops do anyway)
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