Car Care Tips for Fall

Just like your furnace, your car should be checked twice a year as well! Find yourself a mechanic or take your car to the shop to get checked if it’s still under warranty, or you could do many of these yourself! Pro tip: these are also great tips to do before you go on a road trip.

CHECK THE TIRES & BRAKES

Now that the weather is cooling down, you can add more air in your tires (or, if needed, switch to winter tires for slush, ice, & hard-packed snow if your going to travel). During Summer, the heat expands in your tires, so you would want less in Summer. Recommended PSI can be found in your owner’s manual. Inspect your tires for low tread, uneven tread wear, or any damage (don’t forget your spare!). If any of this is concerning, go see a professional. Inspect your brakes inspected every time you rotate your tires and change your oil. You want to see how thick the pad is, if you see small metal hairs at the very bottom it is time to replace the brakes. If the pad gets to thin you will scrape metal against metal and create damage to the hubs (if you hear metal squealing or scrapping, replace brakes immediately). Check for jittery brakes too, this could be a warped rotor.

CHECK WIPER BLADES

Clean or replace your wiper blades to ensure you have a clear windshield when the wiper blades get used. Look out for cracked, worn, inflexible rubber, or the obvious reason of the blades not clearing the windshield when used. Blades are easy to replace and relatively cheap, so don’t be afraid to do these yourself!

CHECK HEATER & DEFROST MODE

Check front and wear windows to ensure your heater and defroster work. Either of these working improperly could be dangerous.

CHECK THE LIGHTS

Clean & check that all your lights (turn signals, headlights, taillights, parking lights, high beams, brakes, and emergency) are working properly, turn each one on and verify if it’s on or blinks. Look out for broken bulbs, cracked or foggy lens’.

CHECK THE BATTERY

To start your car in colder weather, you need a fully juiced up battery. If you see corrosion or loose connections, take your car to a professional to get you all fixed up.

CHECK OIL & AIR FILTER

Oil should be changed about every 5,00o-10,000 miles, the old rule used to be 3 months or 3,000 miles but with the advances in technology on today’s cars and types of synthetic oils, cars can last longer now before viscosity breakdown. That “Change Oil” gage in your car is super handy, but it’s also a good rule of thumb to check the stick under your hood from time to time to ensure that gadget is working properly. If the oil looks low (the stick will have a guide) or is dirty, change the oil. It’s also a good idea to check if the air filter is clean, if you can see light through it when you hold it up, your good, otherwise, it’s time to replace it!

CHECK OTHER FLUIDS

Check fluid levels, this includes wiper fluid, transmission fluid, brake, power steering, and coolant fluids (*only do this when the car is cool! Otherwise you might have fluids explode on you if the car was just running). In order to do this, grab a paper towel of sorts, pull out the stick, clean it with the towel, and then reinsert the stick. This will give you a more accurate read. Will you’re checking your fluids, look out for anything that doesn’t look right; leaks, loose clamps, cracks, brittle hoses, If unsure or have questions, seek professional help.

WASH YOUR CAR

Sure it may not be that bad here in St. George with the lit bit of rain, but it’s a good idea to keep your car clean. One, because it looks nice and second, the more practical reason, because you’ll have an easier time finding any problems.  Thankfully, SunRiver has an awesome new car was at Terrible Herbst! To view prices and time, click here.