Preparing your Vehicle for the Winter

     With the winter months upon us, it's time to start thinking about how your car will handle the snow and ice. One of our Ford Certified Technicians wanted to share a few simple things you can do at home to double check your car if you can't make time just yet to have it inspected at your local dealership.

• Check your tire pressure and tread depth. To ensure the pressure is at a safe level, get a pressure gauge and check your tires cold - meaning before you've driven or 3 hours after you've driven - by inserting the gauge onto the valve stem on each tire. The correct pounds per square inch (psi) will be on a sticker on the inside of your driver side door. To check the tread, place a penny in-between the "ribs" of the tire (the raised portion) and turn Lincoln's head so that it points towards the tread. If you see the top of his hair disappear between the ribs, your tire tread is still above 2/32"; which is good.

• Take good care of your wiper blades - they can be your best friend. We've all been there when you're driving through a strong rain or snow storm and your wipers are going a million miles a minute (or so it seems). To ensure you're keeping them at their highest quality for the longest amount of time, be sure to separate them from the windshield before trying to turn them on if they're frozen. You can also pull them forward off the windshield before a snowfall to keep them from freezing in the first place. Lastly, be sure not to let the wipers drag across the ice on the windshield. This will cut the blades and cause them to need replaced faster.

• Be sure to check the engine coolant and fluid levels. Because of the drastic temperature changes in our area, it is recommended that you check your coolant every 30,000 miles.  If it's getting close to that time frame, it may be smart to purchase a coolant tester just to make sure everything is still in tip-top shape. In addition to checking the coolant, take a peek at the antifreeze and the oil as well. Make sure you have enough of both under the hood, especially before going on any long trips, and keep some extra in your trunk just in case.

     There's always some other little tricks you can do to keep the frustrations of the icy weather to a minimum. You can spray silicon on the weatherstrips of your doors to help keep them from freezing shut. A hair blow drier can also be utilized to un-freeze your locks. But as always, stop in and have your vehicle inspected by a Ford Certified Technician to keep it in top notch condition. We'll even throw in a free car wash to clean that annoying winter salt from your ride!  Click here to schedule an appointment with our service department.