by Michael Sweeney, AAA Traffic Safety Educator
Prep Vehicles for Winter With Fall Maintenance
Fall is a time when many people prepare their homes for winter. Cars need fall maintenance, too. Modern vehicles usually require a lot less maintenance. Low maintenance is a great convenience, but no maintenance can be unsafe. It’s dangerous when your car breaks down on the side of the road, and the danger is magnified by wet or icy conditions. Exposure to below-freezing
temperatures can add to the danger.
October is Car Care Month, and doing your own car-care check is quick and simple.
Step 1. Grab the owner’s manual and recent service receipts. If your vehicle is due, or near due, for service, schedule it now.
Step 2. With the car parked on level ground, check under the hood. The owner’s manual will explain how to check fluids, belts and hoses. Inspect the car battery(if it’s accessible), and make sure the connections are clean and tight.
Step 3. If the battery is more than 3 years old, have it tested. AAA offers mobile battery service. Summer heat causes the majority of battery damage. Battery failure, however, is most common during winter. Older batteries may not have enough strength to turn over an engine in freezing conditions.
Step 4. Check windshield wipers and all lights. Replace cracked or peeling wiper blades. If the blades look fine, clean them with rubbing alcohol. Run the wipers and windshield-washer fluid to check for smooth, streak-free results. All vehicle lighting should be clear and bright. Lens cleaners may be needed to restore older lenses. Bulbs lose brightness with age. You don’t need to wait for a bulb to burn out before replacing it. Vehicle lights work overtime during winter’s dark days.
Step 5. Inspect all four tires and the spare. Check tire inflation as well as tread wear. If the tires are dry and cracked, have them checked for dry rot. If you rely on all-season tires, fall is the best time to replace tires. Without deep tread grooves on tires, winter driving can turn into a dangerous game of slip and slide.
Step 6. Check front and rear defrosters. With the engine at normal operating temperature, make sure defrosters are working correctly. Defroster operation is just as important as lighting and wipers for winter driving visibility.
Do you have a new driver in the family? Ask him or her to join you. Maintenance lessons are an important part of driver’s education. Stay tuned—AAA Hudson Valley will host its annual, free Winter Driving class in early December. We want to help you be prepared for whatever Old Man Winter throws our way.
This article originally ran in the AAA Hudson Valley edition of AAA Home & Away magazine.
