With winter approaching very quickly, it is essential that you are ready to take on whatever Mother Nature may throw at you. Just as you would want your house to be ready for the weather you should want your car to be equally prepared if not more! We have some helpful tips/Advice and ideas to help prep you for the upcoming months.

Service:

If you are due for a service check up, the time to do so is NOW. Making sure everything is all working properly can save from sitting out in the cold because your car is broken down! An important item to make sure your shop/ mechanic checks is your tire pressure; often your tires will lose pressure as the temperature drops. This left unnoticed could cause issues with handling or further damage to your vehicle.

Wipers:

Replacing your wiper blades can be crucial to helping with rain, snow, and all other elements we face in the Pacific Northwest. One item to remember is to make sure your wipers are off in the down position when you leave your car. If you leave them up and they freeze to the window your car may burn out its wiper motor trying to get them to return to the rest position.

Tires:

Checking the tread on your tires while heading into winter is one of the most important items to complete. With all the threats that create slippery roadways, Making sure you have enough tread on your tires is very important. Additionally if you plan on driving through snow this winter invest in snow tires, not only will they help your car outperform in the snow it will help keep you safe on the road.

Preparation:

Being prepared to take on the winter is very important. Items such as an ice scraper, Shovel, Chains, We suggest putting together an emergency kit for your car, which could include items such as: Blankets, Gloves, Hats, Flares, Water, Matches, Flashlights, Food, Batteries, Extra Coats, Boots, etc.

Before Driving:

Make sure if you do go out to drive in winter conditions to thoroughly clean of your car. As your car and the weather warms up, snow or ice may fall off of your car or onto your windshield and provide a distraction to you and others.

Driving:

While you are out on the roads in winter conditions take everything slowly. However if you do feel you are sliding or have lost control there are some techniques to help. Do not slam on your breaks if you feel your car sliding on the ice, this will not help you stop and can cause you to lock up your wheels and slide farther. Instead pumping your breaks will allow your car to keep better traction while coming to a stop. Additionally if you feel you are sliding to one side to do not over compensate too much to the other direction. Remain calm and slightly adjust your wheels back and forth until you find yourself headed the right way. As best as possible try to keep distance between the cars around you and yourself, this will help keep everyone calm and potentially save you from a collision!

We hope these tips will be able to help you this winter season. And from all of us here at Juanita collision we hope you all have a Happy and Safe winter!