October is known as Fall Car Care Month in the automobile industry, where coverage providers, mechanics, and retailers emphasize the importance of seasonal vehicle check-ups.
Part of the importance of Car Care Month is that car owners often neglect simple maintenance and repairs-and this can quickly lead to wear and tear that threatens both their vehicle’s safety and efficiency.
CARS Protection Plus recognizes that there are many different factors of car care to keep up with ahead of driving hazards common in late fall and winter. Here, CARS Protection Plus lists some simple ways drivers can participate in Car Care Month this October.
Tire Pressure and Tread
Taking good care of your tires is important for several reasons. Not only does it help you save money by increasing your gas mileage and vehicle efficiency, but it also helps prevent safety issues that can occur if your tires are in poor condition.
According to CARS Protection Plus, there are a wide variety of ways that vehicle owners can protect their tires. For example, it can be helpful to check the tire pressure to ensure that it is within the range suggested by your owner’s manual. Checking that the tires are free from punctures and that the tire still has enough tread to be effective on the road are also great ways to protect tires.
Uneven wear patterns or damage on your tires can be cause for either a rotation or a new set. Remember that, if you live in a part of the country where temperatures consistently drop below 45-degrees Fahrenheit that winter tires may be a practical choice for your vehicle as well.
Lights Visibility and Clarity
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Drivers will need to use their lights more often as it begins to get earlier than during the summer. For this reason, make sure to check your headlights and taillights. When doing so, drivers should check their brake lights, fog lights, and hi-beams as an extension of their inspection.
Sometimes headlights or taillights are cloudy, cutting down your visibility on the road and making it harder for other drivers to see you on the road as well. If your lights appear cloudy but are otherwise in working order, consider a simple cleaning to remove dirt and dust that may impact brightness.
Brakes Efficiency
For many of us across the US, the impending winter months bring snow that will impact our driving. One of the most important systems to inspect ahead of ice and snow is your brakes. After all, it can be incredibly dangerous to drive in winter weather with inefficient or worn-out brakes.
CARS Protection Plus and other automobile experts recommend that drivers have their brakes checked by a professional a couple times a year, which can be done in alongside other repairs and inspections. Experts can check your brake system, stability, and traction control to ensure that your car will brake efficiently during inclement weather.
HVAC System Cooperation
It can be easy for drivers to forget to check their HVAC system ahead of winter, but it has the important job of cooling, heating, cleaning, ventilating, and dehumidifying the interior of your car. This makes it essential for the colder weather as it is important for you and your passengers’ comfort as well as helping defrost your windows.
Testing your HVAC system is a very simple maintenance step and can be performed by checking your vent to ensure that cold air is coming out when you run the AC and warm air flows when you change to heat. You may also want to replace your cabin air filter, as doing so can prevent putting stress on your blower motor and increase ventilation.
If you find that your vents are not working or the HVAC system itself is not turning on, be sure to check with an auto care expert before the weather begins to drop for winter.
Battery and Cable Health
Many times, a problem with a car battery is not apparent until you are stuck in a situation on the road. Always remember that extreme weather conditions like the summer heat can wear down your car battery’s charge- making checking it an important step for fall car maintenance.
When checking your battery, you want to be sure that the connections are clean, tight, and free of any corrosion. Dirt and corrosion can contribute to startup issues, meaning that it may be necessary to clean your battery from time to time to prevent issues.
Auto care experts can check your battery and cables as a part of routine maintenance. If your battery does not charge correctly or is presenting any other potentially dangerous issues, it may be recommended that you swap out your battery for a new one.
Car Fluids Status
To run efficiently, cars need all their essential fluids to be at a good level. This means that drivers will want to check their oil, brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, brake transmission fluid, and windshield washer fluid alongside the changing seasons.
One of the biggest reasons to check your fluids before winter is that failing to keep them at recommended levels can lead to damage that will threaten the lifespan of your vehicle.
Fluids are one of the first things that automobile experts will check as part of routine maintenance, but it never hurts to check your levels if you know that your car has been driven long distances between your last visit to the shop.
Stay in Tune with Your Car This Fall!
CARS Protection Plus knows that car owners have a lot of factors they need to consider when taking care of their vehicles. An obstacle to proper car care is that we can sometimes become complacent and simply trust that our cars will get us where we need to go.
Throughout Car Care Month and the impending winter, CARS Protection Plus suggests paying close attention to your car and what it will need to keep running effectively. If you notice a problem that does not seem to resolve itself, do not be afraid to consult an expert for a closer look!
