We are so lucky we get to live in Libertyville, IL. We have the best of both worlds; suburban charm with Chicago about an hour away. When you’re 5 miles from Lake Michigan, you get pretty cold in the winter, and driving in these conditions is dangerous, not only because of the weather but also because getting stranded in them could cost you your life. Fall is the perfect time for automotive maintenance because it helps to keep your vehicle running no matter what the weather is like outside. The Pit Shop Auto Repair talks about fall preventative maintenance and why it’s important below.
Weather Affects Car Battery Performance
If you’ve lived here long, you’ve probably ended up with a dead battery in the winter. Batteries lose a percentage of their power the colder the weather gets. Outdoor temperatures 32 degrees or colder can reduce car battery power by as much as 30 percent. Considering our winters are often this cold, your car battery is generating less voltage almost all of the time.
Fluids Freeze and Can Damage the Engine
On the Fahrenheit scale, 32 degrees is freezing and, as such, some of your automotive fluids will thicken or freeze at this temperature if your vehicle is parked outside. January in particular sees both days and nights under 32 degrees, which means you have a frozen radiator and sluggish motor oil when you first turn on your car, truck, or SUV. This can cause engine damage.
Tires Need Tread to Grip the Roads
Tires can also suffer in the winter, as can your undercarriage and brakes from the road salt. Bald tires cannot grip the road on a good day; on a rainy or snowy day, you’ll slide all over the place. Controlling your automobile is crucial in inclement weather, but it’s also quite a bit harder. If you’re slipping and sliding on slick road surfaces, you could lose control of your automobile.
Preventative Maintenance Before Winter
Preventative maintenance helps you ensure your vehicle is ready to withstand Libertyville, Illinois’ cold winter weather. When you bring your car, crossover, SUV, truck, or van into our shop, we’ll inspect the
- Battery
- Belts
- Brakes
- Filters
- Fluids
- Hoses
- Tires
We’ll inspect your vehicle from top to bottom to make sure the battery won’t die or that you have clean antifreeze in the radiator, for example. Pit Shop Auto Repair in Libertyville, IL, will help prep your automobile for winter.
