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Prepping Your Car for Colder Weather in St. Louis County

Prepping your car for the cold winter months to come is a no brainer. If you want your car to get you from point A to point B with no issues this holiday season in S. Louis County be sure to read these tips that will be your car’s lifeline to a longer healthier life. Yep, cars need care too. They get you where you need to go, so give something back.

Smart Winter Car Prep and Maintenance Tips to help the life of your car

1. Check your wipers because you need to simply see

When winter driving, the last thing you would want is to have wipers that do not work as they should. Faulty wipers won’t be able to clean your windshield properly. And we all know that dirty windshields can affect visibility. If you see streaking on your windshield, hear a grating, squeaky sound, notice slow-moving blades that do not seem to touch the windshield, then, it’s high time to replace your wipers. Change your windshield washer liquid into something that contains de-icers. Those with no de-icers might freeze.

2. Check your tires. It’s between an old pair or a new pair of shoes

Your tires get the most wear from the road during wintertime because they tend to deflate. So, it’ll be wise to check your tires’ overall well-being before hitting the road. First, check the tire pressure. See your owner’s manual for the recommended tire pressure for your car.

Also, check the treads. A popular way to do this is by inserting a penny into the tread. This is a common way to check whether your tires need to be rotated or changed. It’s like the soles on your shoes protecting your feet except this could be much more hazardous for you and your car if you don’t check them.

3. Your car may need a sauna – Try steam cleaning

Some might say salt is the way to go for melting snow, but have you tried steam cleaning? It’s one of the biggest mistakes when doing car washing in the winter. Salt can cause oxidation.

For better car maintenance, we recommend steam cleaning your car’s exterior instead. It’ll melt the ice and as it liquefies, will take road salt and other contaminants with it.

4. Your car needs Fluids too

Your car’s fluids are its lifeline. Properly maintained, they can make your car function at its peak and increase its durability and longevity. If your car’s coolant is made up of 50 per cent water and 50 per cent anti-freeze, and you live in an area where the temperature occasionally drops to below zero, then change to a coolant that has a 70-30 or 60-40 blend. Here’s why: if your anti-freeze is not adjusted to your area’s climate, your car’s engine will work overtime and your gasoline consumption will increase as well.

5. Check the heart of your car – the battery

Chances are, your car battery isn’t prepared for cold, winter mornings. This usually occurs in batteries that are more than three years old. But no, you don’t have to change your battery right away. All it needs is some help from a battery charger.

First, check all the ports of your battery. Remove any corrosion. Apply some dielectric grease to prevent further corrosion. Charge and test. If your battery is just too weak, you do have a warranty that is on the existing battery. Be sure to ask when you exchange it and get the discount you deserve.

6. Do your headlights need a good cleaning?

Poor visibility conditions are mostly caused by natural elements like sleet. Couple this with nighttime driving with a foggy, yellowish car headlight and you have a recipe for disaster. Restore and have those headlights cleaned to ensure you and your family’s safety this winter.

7. Don’t forget the places we never check – Vehicle undercarriage cleaning

Your car’s undercarriage is very susceptible to extreme winter conditions with salt and other contaminants on the road.  This is why vehicle undercarriage cleaning is important. It protects your undercarriage from rusting and overheating. With a clean undercarriage, you will save a huge amount of money from costly repairs in the future.

8. Give your car an extra layer of skin under your feet

Your shoes are a number one carrier of contaminants that can affect your health and damage the beauty of your car’s carpets.

Winter floor mats are one of the best auto preventive maintenance tips no one thinks about. They come in a tray which collects snow, salt, and other contaminants and are super easy to clean. This keeps your permanently installed carpet and upholstery clean and dry, wintertime or not. Be proactive and save yourself the headache later.

Spirit West Rapid Refinish is an auto repair shop in Manchester, MO. If you need auto collision repairs, a tow, or rental car assistance please give us a call so we can help you our time of need. Be safe this winter season.

Spirit West Rapid Refinish, established in 2011, was formed to focus on providing quality service for customers who are paying out of pocket for automobile repairs and streamline the workflow volume.

We take great pride with teamwork and our commitment to making sure our team receives training on the latest innovative state-of-the-art equipment and collision repair techniques.

We are proud to say our team is family, and we treat our customers like family too. Whether you need minor collision repair services, bumper repair or vehicle paint, give us a call today (636) 386-8060 to see how we can restore your vehicle to its original factory finish or stop by the shop 14643 Manchester Rd, Manchester, MO 63011 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm closed 12pm-1pm daily.