Be prepared for the season
The sky is low, the clouds are mean,
A traveling flake of snow
Across a barn or through a rut
Debates if it will go.
A narrow wind complains all day
How some one treated him;
Nature, like us, is sometimes caught
Without her diadem.
~Emily Dickinson
Winter, in and of itself, should not be a time of alarm or heightened anxiety. In fact, for many, it’s a welcome season fraught with trappings of family lore and traditions. Whatever it may be to you, it’s wise to at least prepare for how weather conditions change. To that end, winterizing your vehicle has become a necessary step to assure you’re ready for what Mother Nature throws at you.
This may be obvious to some but others have asked, why is it important to “winterize” their vehicle before the elements arrive. This is a great question, and one we intend to now address directly. In short, the frigid temperatures make it more challenging for your engine to operate correctly, at least not without help. One very common change is your motor oil. You’ll want to check if your vehicle calls for a thinner motor oil during the colder months. This is typical because the viscosity (which is the industry term for thickness, or resistance to flow) of the oil itself may prevent the engine from staying adequately lubricated, thereby causing it to potentially overwork. This will lead to your engine running hotter than normal, something you should avoid whenever possible.
Another very common concern is the vehicle’s starting system. If you notice when battery companies market their product, they almost always (if not every time) call attention to how the battery will perform in cold weather. Do you recall all the DieHard commercials that depict a family stranded on the side of the road, with enough drama to suggest something terrible might possibly happen to them? Right, you got it… paid actors, or not, you never want to put yourself in that situation. Testing your starter, battery, alternator (read as Charging System) is necessary to guarantee all is within operating specifications. Rule of thumb here is to give yourself the peace of mind through proactive tests/inspection rather than be forced to react due to a faulty component when it meets snow/ice face to face.
One of the final (and critical) items we’re going to cover here is antifreeze. This may also seem like common sense, but you’ll want to make certain your coolant (another common term used for antifreeze) mixture accurately matches the manufacturer’s recommendations. Each vehicle has the likelihood to be a little different so you’ll want to consult your owners manual for specifics. Basically, you’ll want to avoid adding too much water to your radiator because… brace yourself, this is revolutionary stuff – it will freeze. Needless to say, you do not want this to happen to you, ever.
OK, while this list is not all inclusive, we’ve touched on some of the most common concerns with winter weather and automobiles. Incidentally, all of us here at Community Automotive Repair are here to make this seasonal transition very easy for you. We are currently running a winterization promotion that helps you SAVE $60.00 (normally $100, available for a limited time at $39.95) on this service. If you’re already a customer of ours (new or older alike) you should already have received a flyer in your mailbox specific to this special. Just give us a call or schedule an appointment online sometime between now and December 31, 2012, and we’ll take care of it from there. You have until the end of this year but with something like this, it’s best to take advantage of this offer before the real storms decide to pay a visit.
If you did not receive an offer in the mail, postal or e-mail, we have a few extras here at the shop until they’re gone. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, related to having your vehicle(s) winterized or otherwise.
Stay safe and warm out there, friends. We’ll be here when you need us.
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