HARRISTON – With colder weather approaching, the time to prepare your vehicle for a safe winter is now.
The first thing drivers can do is “get your car in for a service and have your brakes checked,” Minto Auto Centre owner Nick Meulensteen told the Community News.
A full car service can include:
– replacing brake fluid, antifreeze, wiper fluid and oil;
– engine inspections;
– checking and adjusting wheel bearings, alignment and shock absorbers; and
– changing air filters.
“You’d want to check your antifreeze strength because over time it can weaken,” said Meulensteen.
“Then on a minus-20 degree (celsius) day if your antifreeze is only good for minus 10 then that’s going to be a problem.”
A vehicle’s antifreeze can be found under the car’s hood .
“I would always recommend if you’re not familiar with under the hood of your vehicle then … your mechanic can check that out,” Meulensteen said.
Battery life should also be checked before the first snowfall. Mechanics can perform a “charging system test to make sure the alternator is performing as it should and that your battery is up to snuff,” Meulensteen said.
The alternator converts mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy to power the car’s battery and electronics.
Storing a winter kit in your vehicle can help in the event of an emergency. The kit can “vary from person to person [including] how far you’re travelling,” Meulensteen said.
Keeping a blanket and an extra set of warm clothing can be crucial in a crash or during vehicle break-downs.
Meulensteen also recommends keeping items in the vehicle to help with visibility, including road flares and pylons.
Winter tires
Drivers should keep a close eye on the weather. When temperatures are consistently below seven degrees celsius, it’s time for winter tires.
“Tire manufacturers in general say that a real soft rubber tire, which is your winter tires, when it gets to be greater than seven degrees … they wear out quicker,” said Meulensteen.
“The rubber compound in the tire is made to be soft for icy, cold conditions.”
Checking winter tire tread depth before placing them on the car is a “good idea to make sure they still have good tread life in them,” he added.
Though recommended tread depth differs depending on the manufacturer, Meulensteen advises at least five millimetres of tread for the winter months.
“You could have less in the summer but 5mm-plus would give you good winter traction,” he noted. “Less than that and you start to lose traction and capabilities on your car.”
His last words of wisdom: have a mechanic “overlook your vehicle for brake and steering components.”
“Sometimes worn out steering components may not feel worn out in good weather,” Meulensteen said.
“But once you hit icy weather you’ll start to feel issues with your steering.”
