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Vehicles, like people, need
to be fully prepared for old
man winter. The obvious way
to do this is to have your
car(s) fully winterized by a
reputable, licensed auto
mechanic who should cover
these steps:
-
Flush out the cooling
system and replace the
anti-freeze.
-
Ensure your tires are in
optimum condition.
-
Replace the windshield
wiper blades and fill
the reservoir with
windshield washer fluid.
(Did you know you can
ruin your wiper motor if
you use it to clear your
window from ice or snow?
Use your scraper/brush,
then gently tug the
wipers from the window
before you turn them
on.)
-
Perform a full service
(if your car’s due) and
renew your
inspection/emissions
stickers if its 90 days
or less before yours
expires.
-
Clean the battery
terminals, add water,
and check your battery’s
ability to hold a
charge. If it’s been
over 4 years since
you’ve had a new
battery, it will
probably need replaced.
-
Check the heater,
defroster(s), lights and
brakes.
-
Check timing belts.
Things you should do:
-
Keep your cell phone
fully charged.
-
Keep your gas tank as
full as possible to
prevent the gas lines
from freezing.
-
Check the air in your
spare tire and keep a
flashlight and all
tire-changing tools by
it.
-
Use a tire gauge
regularly as your tire
pressure will drop in
cold weather.
-
Keep an emergency kit in
your car: a blanket, a
spare pair of clothes,
extra gloves, boots, a
small shovel, a towel
and either a bag of salt
or kitty litter for
traction, if needed.
-
Wash the car, especially
the undercarriage, to
remove damaging road
salt as often as
possible.
–by Don “Donnie” Ruff,
owner of Lou Dinatti
Services, LLC
Donald "Donnie" Ruff, Owner
110 West Point Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601
724-834-3470 |
