4 Tips to Ensure your Vehicle is Winter-ready

 Winter at the Lake of the Ozarks can be a winter wonderland, but sometimes the snowy or icy roadways make it seem just a little less wonderful. Winter conditions here can be harsh, so ensuring that your vehicle is ready to handle frigid and snowy weather to come is vital to your safety as you go about daily life. At the best car dealership in Camdenton, we felt it fitting to shed a little light on some routine maintenance checks that will keep your vehicle going over these next wintery months. Read on to learn more!

How're the Tires?

A thorough tire check should be the first line of business. You always want to have good tread on the tires, but during the wintertime is especially important. Having sufficient tread will ensure that your vehicle can maintain traction on the roadway. If you're using bald tires, you'll find yourself easily skidding across the roadway - what a scary thought! Tire pressure also plays a vital role in your vehicle's tire care. You're bound to lose air pressure in your tire during the frigid weather. Combat this by maintaining optimal tire pressure. Checking your tires routinely every few days or diligently watching your air pressure lights is a good rule of thumb to stay up on this. 

Lively Battery?

Just as the cold weather is hard on your tires, it's also hard on the battery. Cold weather is known for causing start-up and operational issues in vehicles that are in need of maintenance. If you've noticed any signs of a weakening batter during the warmer months, or know the battery is dated, we suggest that you replace the battery. There are few things worse than being stranded in the cold with a dead battery!

Checking the Fluids

Checking your fluids is routine maintenance that's good practice year-round. However, during the winter months, there are some additional risks of operating your vehicle with insufficient fluid levels. You'll want to ensure your vehicle has enough coolant/antifreeze, this keeps the engine from freezing. Checking your oil is also important. during the cold winter months. Your oil can become thick, causing difficulty the engine to have difficulty turning over. Keeping your gas tank near full helps to prevent accumulated water from freezing inside the fuel pump. And windshield washer fluid can be vital for keeping good visibility as road debris accumulates on the windshield. While checking fluids, make sure that there are no leaks in the lines, and if so, replace them immediately.

Lighting the Way

As you've likely noticed already, the winter months bring a very early sunset, meaning that you will be driving with less daylight during your normal commutes. Because of this lack of daylight, you'll want to ensure that all of the lights on your vehicle are in great working order. Keeping your visibility, and the visibility for others to see your vehicle during the winter season is impeccably important. This helps to ensure that you can see and react as needed, as well as allowing other drivers to do the same as they come upon you. If your headlights are foggy, dimming, or yellow - it's time to replace them. 

We hope that these tips will help you prepare your vehicle for the winter weather to come. Winter can be especially hard on vehicles but ensuring that yours is in prime operating order will help to reduce any weather-related mishaps. If you notice any of these issues with your vehicle, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with the best car dealership in Camdenton. Our service experts can quickly and efficiently repair any issues with your vehicle and provide you with peace of mind that you are now ready for anything winter throws your way. So, before you hit the road this winter, visit our outstanding auto servicing department in Camdenton. We'd be happy to assist with any of your vehicle's needs. 


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