03/11/2023
Winter Maintenance Tips
Winter is almost here and it is important that your vehicles can handle it for safe driving. Below are some suggestions for preparing your vehicle for winter driving.
Proper lubing of your vehicle’s doors, locks, windows and trunk/hatch can prevent binding and freezing in snowy and icy conditions. This is something you can easily do yourself. All that is needed is dry Teflon spray, spray lithium grease, a rag and glass cleaner.
Start with the window channels. Lower the window glass and shoot dry Teflon spray down the front, rear, and top window channels on each door. Soak the channels. Then run the window up and down several times to spread the l**e. Finally, raise the window and clean off overspray with glass cleaner.
Spray the door and trunk/hatch lock cylinders. Use the spray straw to force the lock "door" open. Then inject a quick shot of dry Teflon spray into the lock cylinder. Insert your key and rotate the lock to spread the l**e.
Next coat all the weather stripping with dry Teflon spray. Then spread it with a cloth. L**e the hood, trunk or tailgate latches with lithium grease. Then spray the door hinges. Operate the latches and doors several times to spread the grease.
Driving on worn-out coolant is a bad idea all year-round, but it's especially bad in winter. Worn coolant can freeze and damage the engine. Fresh coolant prevents corrosion damage to the heater core, radiator and water pump. Once corrosion starts, the heater core plugs up and loses heat. If you can't remember the last time the coolant was changed, bring it in to your ATL Total Car Care Center to have it tested. If needed, have it changed to prevent expensive repairs later.
We also recommend having the battery and charging system checked to ensure they are in good running condition. On a cold winter night, or in bad weather, you are likely to have headlights, wipers, heater/defroster and the rear window defogger running at the same time. This will put tremendous stress on your vehicle's electrical system. It’s important to have clean connections and a strong battery. Old and/or weak batteries can't handle frequent discharge/recharge cycles and can cause premature alternator failure. If the battery is four years old, or older, ATL recommends replacing it. Even if the battery is not old, have it checked to make sure it is generating enough power.
When checking the battery, your ATL Total Car Care Center, will check the battery connections too, looking for fraying or corrosion and clean them, if necessary. No one wants to be stuck somewhere on a cold winter day waiting for a jump or tow truck. They will also make sure the battery has enough fluid inside when testing it. Even though batteries are supposed to be “maintenance free”, the fluid level should always be checked.
If you want to check the battery's fluid levels yourself, you can. Most batteries have caps on top, and you can check the level by removing the caps. If it's low, fill the holes with distilled water, being careful not to fill past the bottom of the cap.
Belts and hoses should also be inspected. Cold temperatures can weaken belts and hoses, and if something snaps or breaks while out on the road, a tow truck will be the only way to get moving again.
Low visibility can make driving in cold weather extremely dangerous, so it's important to make sure the wiper blades are making clean swipes on the windshield. Wiper blades are made out of rubber, and with time they crack, split, and deteriorate.
Topping off your wiper fluid is also a good idea when winterizing your vehicle, as it can assist in breaking up snow and ice on the windshield. Many drivers do not check their wiper fluid level and, if the roads have been salted, the visibility will be close to zero in no time if you can’t clean the windshield while driving.
If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow and/or freezing rain, consider replacing your wiper blades with "winter wiper blades." Winter blades are covered in a rubber boot that prevents snow and ice from packing inside the squeegee's support arms. This will help keep the windshield clean even in heavy snow.
Many newer vehicles come with beam-style blades that don't have support arms. If the vehicle is equipped with this type of wiper blade, make sure they wipe without streaking. If you see streaks now, they'll only get worse as road salt and grit wear them down even more. We recommend replacing them for better visibility.
Check the lights on your vehicle. It is important that all of the lights on the vehicle (headlights, brake lights, turn signals, etc.) are working correctly. With the daylight hours so short, even in good weather chances are the lights will be needed when driving more often than during the rest of the year, so it is important that they are all working to increase visibility and vehicle safety.
Have the defrost and heating units checked to make sure they are functioning correctly. Windshields fog up in the winter due to moisture from inside the car condensing on the glass. Defrosters blow warm, dry air over the glass to get rid of the condensation. If the vehicle’s heater isn't working, have it checked for a faulty heater coil.
And finally, check your tires. Make sure they have good tread and are at the correct psi to reduce the risk of it loosing traction on icy or snowy roads.
These are just a few recommendations for keeping your vehicles safe and on the road this winter.
