With winter here, now is the right time to prepare your vehicle to ensure a safe, convenient driving experience. By acting proactively, you can prep your vehicle for winter weather, helping you prepare for the worst and minimizing interruption to your daily driving. Winter weather can bring everything from deep snow to icy roads, and you can take on everything the season has to offer by taking some simple steps.
Learn more about the importance of preparing for winter and how our team can help.
Why Prepare for Winter?
Cold weather and slippery roads make for more dangerous and challenging driving. Preparing your vehicle can be the difference between a collision or getting stranded. Our team can help you prepare your car while offering minimal interruption to your day and competitive rates. To winterize your vehicle, you can count on our team to provide needed information, certified expertise, and high-quality parts.
Winter Tires
While some drivers can get by without winter tires, there is no replacement for winter tires. Winter tires are specifically made for snow and ice in ways other tires are not. Even though some drivers may swear by all-season tires or their all-wheel drive systems, any tires other than winter tires are at a disadvantage during cold weather and winter conditions.
Equipping your car with winter tires is one of the best ways to drive confidently this winter. Snow-shedding tread patterns ensure your winter tires don't get filled with snow and lose traction. Ice-gripping siping provides more traction even on patches of ice. Winter tires even have freezing-resistant rubber, letting them retain their supple form for maximizing traction while other tires become rigid and lose grip.
Emergency Bag
Having an emergency bag packed in your car during winter driving is an excellent way to prepare for worst-case scenarios. If your vehicle breaks down or you're caught in a heavy storm, your emergency bag will help you stay safe. We recommended packing items like a foldable shovel, blanket, extra winter clothes, a first aid kit, flares, sand or kitty litter, snacks, water, a flashlight (with extra batteries), and whatever else you think might help you if you need to wait out a storm.
Brake Repair
Like winter tires, properly functioning brakes are crucial for controlling your car and avoiding dangerous situations. When driving on snow, ice, and cold pavement, you will want to ensure your stopping distances are as short as possible. We can inspect your entire braking system, checking everything from calipers to rotors to ensure your brakes are working at their best.
You can avoid brake issues with routine maintenance and watch for developing problems. Some of the red flags that you should schedule brake service for include:
- Braking pulls the car to one side
- Screeching or scraping when braking
- Brake pedal is spongy
Battery Service
Your car battery powers all the electronics in your vehicle. Cold weather can put additional stress on your battery, which may cause it to not work or die out early. If you're noticing dim lights or trouble starting your engine, you may already be experiencing battery issues. Our team can check your battery's cables and connections to ensure it's working properly and can also recommend batteries suited for cold weather to minimize your chance of battery issues this winter.
Contact Our Collision Centers
Whether you've gotten into a fender bender this winter or need help preparing your car for winter, our collision centers are here to help. Contact us today to learn more.