All In A Days Work

The cold weather is officially upon us – no turning back now. If you are like me you’ve already packed your summer clothes away in the back of your closet and dug out the jeans, sweaters, hoodies and snow boots. Switched from iced coffee to hot – even switched your nail polish to the darker winter colors instead of summer brights. Just like we have to make adjustments for the cold winter weather, we need to make adjustments for our cars as well.

Change Up the Engine Oil. Just like you might use different shampoo or lotion in the winter, your car needs different oil. During the winter if you live anywhere where temps might get below freezing,you should think of switching to a thinner oil. For example if you use a 10W 30 oil, for winter you may want to switch to 5W 30. If you are unsure check your manual, or with a professional.

Battery Check-Up. Your battery capacity is reduced by the cold weather, too. A thorough inspection of your battery, cables, terminals, and fluid will help you make sure your car is ready for the winter. Check the cables for breaks or cracks, make sure the terminals fit correctly and there isn’t any loose connections. Check battery fluid, level of charge in your battery and even check the date. The older the manufacture date, the more likely you will lose charge.

Emergency Kit. If  you don’t already have some sort of emergency kit in your car – you need to get one now! If you do, make sure it’s ready for the winter. Besides making sure you have a working spare time and tools to change one, you may want to look at adding flares, blankets, snow boots, emergency  radio, extra engine oil, washer fluid, coolant, hats and gloves.

Snow Tires. Some think that all season tires will work just as well as winter tires in the snow, but that’s far from true. Snow tires gives you more control and traction in the ice and snow. Mounting and rotating the tires correctly can give you a huge advantage when driving through the  snow. To make sure that your tires are snow ready visit your local dealership,like Junction Auto near Cleveland to make sure they are correctly mounted.

Check Engine Coolant. Your engine coolant is not only for keeping your engine well, cool, but also for protecting your engine from corrosion. Before it gets too cold make sure you are using coolants with ethylene glycol to help protect it. Most manual’s will let you know what your engine needs when it comes to the coolant / water ratio. For most cars a winter ratio is 60 /40. Sixty percent coolant, and forty percent water. Adjusting this ratio during the winter months is an important step.

Windshield Treatments. This is one of the easiest – and most important part of winterizing is  using a winter windshield treatment. Being able to clean off the wet dirty snow and ice off your windshield use a washer fluid with an antifreeze solution. Be careful though, some washer fluids can be a bit harsh and damage car paint.

There isn’t much worse of a feeling than starting up your car to see that dreaded check engine light come on. After the general shock, the first thought is What the heck is wrong with my car? and then maybe some general panic sets in -but there are some simple steps to find out exactly what is going on.

Check Your Gas Cap.  One of the most common reasons for your check engine light coming on is forgetting to put your gas cap back on (or back on tightly enough) after getting gas. Usually it’s as simple as making sure it’s on properly and tight – but if your driving abilities change, stop and call for assistance, do not continue to drive, there are other issues that needs to be addressed and you cannot continue to drive.

Double Check the Light. Sometimes it’s hard to read the lights on the dash, but be sure to double check the light to make sure it isn’t something simple like a low fluids light, like your washer fluid or oil. When in doubt, check your manual.

Solid vs. Blinking. A lot of people don’t know this simple trick, but if the check engine light is solid, that usually means it’s drive-able, but when it’s blinking/flashing then it mean’s DO NOT DRIVE and tow it to your dealership’s service center asap.

Check Gauges and Fluids. If you are driving and the light comes on, the best thing to do is find a place to pull over – and do it quickly. Even driving just ‘the rest of the way home’ can cause irreversible damages. Pull over someplace safe and check all gauges and fluids – make sure there are no leaks under your car and listen for odd noises. Checking for odd smells and smoke is also a great idea, if there is any type of fire you want to make sure to get everyone out of your vehicle safely and away from the vehicle.

Road trips can be a ton of fun – or a ton of headache. The stress of the holidays can make it even worse, with so many places to be and kids jumping off the walls with excitement. There are a few things that you can do to help make that stressful trip a bit more anxiety-free and maybe even a trip for the books!

Be Vehicle Ready. Knowing that your vehicle is road-ready, will make you feel more road-ready. Make sure your vehicle is in good shape, check your oil, tire pressure and all the vital fluids. If anything needs to be tuned up or fixed make a service appointment

Make the Drive an Adventure. I despise traveling with people who only care about getting from point A to point B in a hurry. (though I do know it’s necessary at times). Making the drive an adventure can be even more fun than the destination. making impromptu stops at road stops along the way, shops, restaurants, and local attractions make leaving a bit early for your trip totally worth it.

Bring the Entertainment.  Driving for hours on end and just listening to the radio might work for some, but it most definitely does not work for the kids. Making sure they have plenty of entertainment for the trip is important for their sanity – and yours. Bring the portable DVD player, video games, books, coloring books and travel games. The more they have to do the less they will be asking, “are we there yet?” 

Pack Light. You are going to need more room to stretch and sit comfortably than you are that 3rd pair of shoes in your luggage. I know it’s hard not to over pack for a trip (this is something I’ve learned the hard way)but unless you’re heading to a camping spot in the middle of nowhere I’m pretty sure you can find a Walmart or Kmart to pick-up anything you might have forgotten, or need. Trust me, you need that extra leg room in the backseat!

Don’t Overspend. I know a lot of people who literally buy their drinks and snacks from the gas station when they stop for a fill-up. SAY WHAT?! I cannot even begin to tell you how much more you will spend because you didn’t plan ahead. Pack a cooler with drinks, and a bag of snacks and I promise you , that you won’t miss the over-priced snacks!