“Winter is Coming” is the series premiere of Game of Thrones. While most people associate this phrase with the smash hit show, the coming cold months are entirely different for your car.
It’s not yet winter, but it’s crucial to start preparing your car this fall. Let’s look at a few simple and effective maintenance tips you should observe to keep your vehicle in top condition in the coming months.
Inspect Your Car Battery
Your car battery leverages lead-acid technology to transform chemical energy into electricity. However, the chemical reaction required to start your vehicle slows down in cold weather, which weakens the battery’s power. Thus, having a thorough battery inspection should be at the top of your fall car care list.
Visual inspections are quite simple, you can perform them yourself. Ensure all cables and terminals are snug. If you see dirty terminals or significant corrosion, your battery terminals may need to be cleaned.
You can also stop by EG Auto Center in Dayton, NJ so that our mechanics can perform more thorough battery testing.
Check and Clean Your Headlights
In addition to cooler weather, fall and winter seasons have significantly less daylight. And this means you are more likely to be driving more at night. One important but overlooked practice is to check headlights.
As your vehicle ages, headlights can become hazy or cloudy, especially for vehicles parked outside. Clouded lenses can compromise your night vision, threaten your safety, and reduce the impact of your headlights by as much as 80%.
The best solution: proactively clean your headlights to remove the years of buildup, film, and residue.
Don’t Forget Your Tires
When the cold months roll around, it’s imperative to have your tires up to the task.
For a start, make sure to check the tire tread. If your tire tread is less than 1/8th of an inch left, you most likely need to replace your tires. You can easily check your remaining tire tread by using a penny.
In addition to tire tread depth, it’s just as important to ensure your tires are properly inflated. Tire pressure can drop by about 1 pound per square inch for every 10 degrees drop in temperature. As such, you should be ready to add air to your tire once colder temperatures become a reality in Dayton, NJ.
Consider Switching to Snow Tires
Most people purchase all-season tires because they are the cheaper option. However, drivers in Dayton, NJ should consider purchasing a set of snow or winter tires. And fall is one of the best times to order such tires for your vehicle.
Snow tires are designed with specially-formulated rubber that remains flexible and pliable in cold conditions. In addition, snow tires feature special channels and groves intended to help channel ice and snow while increasing traction.
Contact EG Auto Center for Fall Car Maintenance in Dayton, NJ
Although vehicle maintenance is a year-round affair, certain services become more critical for the coming cold months. Fortunately, our team at Dayton, NJ has you covered.
At EG Auto Center, we are the leading automotive experts in Dayton, NJ. We offer a full range of solutions for virtually every make and model of vehicle, from domestic to European cars.
Call us at (732) 329-6300 or complete our online appointment form. You can also stop by our auto shop at 2276 US HWY 130, Dayton, NJ 08810.
