Throughout the fall, the temperatures drop, the rain begins, and the ice slowly starts to form, which makes driving more dangerous during this time of year. To ensure you’re fully prepared for the transition, it’s important to get your vehicle ready for fall. Here are 5 things you can do to make sure your car is ready for the fall weather.
Replenish the Fluids
Now’s the time to top up your washer fluid, anti-freeze, brake and oil fluids. This way you’ll be fully prepared for the rainy weather and colder temperatures. It’s also important to drain and replace the coolant before the winter hits. Getting a coolant flush will ensure you have the right ratio of water to coolant necessary to prevent corrosion that can damage the radiator, cooling and heating system.
Replace Your Wiper Blades
Wiper blades don’t last forever, and hot weather can actually speed up the wear and tear. So it’s important that you test your wiper blades out before the rainy weather returns. In fact, you should be checking your wiper blades at least twice a year to ensure they are working properly. If the blades are cracked, streaking, squeaking or chattering, it’s time to replace them.
Inspect the Tires
Worn down tread won’t perform well on icy surfaces, so make sure you check that you have enough tread to drive on. The tire pressure should also be topped up. As the weather changes, you can lose as much as 1 PSI for every 10 degrees that the temperature drops.
Test the Heater and Defroster
It’s best to test the heat and defroster before the temperatures drop. If you find that it’s not working or taking too long to start up, now’s the time to get it fixed. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck driving to work in a freezing cold car.
Get It Serviced
Don’t forget to take your vehicle in to get it serviced. You should take your car in every 6 months so that a mechanic can check your lights, steering, brakes and tires. And the best time to do this is before the fall and after the winter.
The more often you have your car serviced, the longer it will last. If you haven’t visited our service center in a while, now’s the time. Get your vehicle ready for the fall and winter by visiting us at Kanata Mazda this month. We’ll inspect your vehicle from head to toe to ensure it’s prepared for the changing road conditions ahead.