7 Auto Services for a Safe Winter — PT 1

Services to prepare for winter weather

OK, Labor Day is behind us. The fashionable among us have packed up all their white pants and shoes and the kids are back in school. It’s just a matter of time before cold weather returns. I suspect your grade schoolers can tell you the number of days until Christmas.

In Chicagoland, cool weather breaks into cold, icy weather about mid-November and the thermometer goes downhill from there. Prevention and preparation are all about controlling what you can control. That makes now a great time to think about how to assure the vehicles you depend on will keep rolling.

These services are recommended to prepare vehicles for winter. In this series, we’ll go into greater detail about who, what, where, when and why these services are important.

• Check coolant/antifreeze amount and condition.
• Check tires condition and pressure replace as needed.
• Change oil and filter. Switch to winter weight when applicable.
• Check battery/charging/starting systems.
• Check/change wiper blades and switch to winter washer fluid.
• Check lights front, back and all indicators.
• Wash and wax.
• Pack and stow an emergency kit.

What does your Antifreeze/coolant really do?

1. It helps keep the water from boiling away.
2. It helps keep the water from freezing in the winter.
3. It contains additives that provide lubrication for the water pump and protect internal parts from corrosion.

I thought we should take a look at some common winter preparation services and why they are a good idea. The basics of car care (yes, trucks too) is to make sure the vehicle will Run, Go and Stop whenever we want it to.

Cold temperatures can damage your vehicle. Freezing temperatures alone don’t do much damage to a vehicle made mostly of metal. But water, cools the engine and heats the interior. When it freezes can — in time — knock whole mountains down. It can also crack that large hunk of metal under your hood known as the engine.

That’s the first reason to service your engine cooling system. To make sure you have freeze protection in the winter. There’s water in the radiator. In most cars that iridescent greenish-yellow fluid is called coolant because, even in winter, its main role is to cool the engine. It has several other attributes too.

• It helps keep the water from boiling away. Yes, you can overheat in the winter. No matter the weather, the water is what keeps your engine running at a consistent temp. Antifreeze is the additive that keep your engine from turning into a popsicle in winter.
• It helps keep the water from freezing in the winter. Thus the name.
• Additives in the coolant provide some lubrication for the water pump. It also protects the internal metal parts from corrosion. Corrosive elements circulating in your cooling system can wear away at gaskets and seals and lead to costly engine repairs. Over time, though, this ally can turn into an enemy. As the additives wear out, they can become acidic and begin to attack the metal, gaskets and seals.

A cooling system flush is inexpensive maintenance that helps you reduce the risk expensive of repairs. You will want to have someone check that you have enough antifreeze going into winter every year. Check your vehicle service intervals in the owner’s manual to see how often they recommend a coolant flush. You can also expect to do a coolant flush when you replace a radiator, a water pump or a thermostat.

BenzWorx AutoHaus, in East Dundee, can perform all of these services. We also provide comprehensive repair and maintenance services for all makes and models to give you peace of mind behind the wheel. Visit benzworx.com or call 847–844–0349 to ask questions or to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.