Auto Repairs to Prepare For Northern Winters
By Jordan McPelt
In the north, the winters months are not only hard on the body, but hard on the automobile as well. When the winds start howling and the snow starts falling, cars tend to work harder to warm up and travel to your normal destinations. It is important to keep your auto repair up to date, especially when being stranded could mean the difference between being safe and not being safe.
Essential Winter Auto Repairs
There are a few essential winter auto repairs that you need to make sure you complete before the height of winter. Those repairs include antifreeze, tires, wipers, brakes, batteries, spark plugs and the auto body.
Antifreeze is the liquid of life for an engine in the north. When the winter temperatures reach subzero levels, the antifreeze keeps the car from freezing and refusing to start. Antifreeze should be mixed with 50% water when added to the engine.
Tires and tire tread can mean the difference between grabbing on to the slick road and slipping into a bank or hill. Tire tread refers to the depth of the grooves in the tire. The more tread the tire has, the more grip the tire will have on the road. When tires wear below 3 mm of tread, the time has come to replace those tires. In order to even the wear of the tire tread, rotating the front tires to the back and the back tires to the front helps even the weight of the vehicle on the tire.
The windshield wipers are the tools most important in snowy parts of the north. When winter snows collect on the windshield, the visibility will reach 0 in no time flat. Good windshield wipers should be in place before the winter begins in order to increase safety on the road for both the driver and the passengers.
The battery is the heart of the engine. The colder the air, the more juice needed to start the engine. When winter appears, replacing an old battery will ensure a fast start when time is of the essence. Batteries can be tested at any local auto shop before replacing.
Spark plugs work with the car's battery to start the engine. If the spark plugs are old or the efficacy is reduced, the spark produced will not be enough to turn over the engine. During northern winters, having a quick start is important during the coldest of mornings and most frigid of nights.
The Importance of a Great Auto Body
While the car or truck engine is important during northern winters, the auto body is just as crucial. If there are nicks or scratches in the auto body paint, the salt used to melt away the winter snows on the road can collect on the body of the car and rust out the spot. Once a spot of rust begins, it will grow to an unsightly bit of damage by spring. Auto body paint repairs do not have to require an entire repaint job.
Keeping your car in top condition leading up to a northern winter is essential for winter safety and winter driving.
Jordan Mcpelt is a professional author who specializes in Utah auto body repair and car repair. For more information please visit http://www.cascadecollision.com
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