Trust Spitzer AutoWorld To Help Your Vehicle Get Through Winter

The weather is cooling and the days are getting shorter, which means it’s time to prepare your car for the winter season. Here in our Service Center at Spitzer Autoworld in St. Marys, PA we don’t just service and repair vehicles, but we also love to answer questions! With winter months soon approaching, and the challenges that snow and ice bring, this is a perfect time to answer some of our most frequently asked winter car care questions.

Come with us as we explore some commonly asked questions and take advantage of some of our top winter car care tips!

Winter Car Care FAQ

Here are our most frquestionly asked winter car care questions:

Do I Need to Change My Battery Before Winter?

When temperatures drop below freezing, it can take up to 50% more power from your car battery to start your engine. If your battery is aging, it may not be able to keep up with such large power demands. We recommend performing a battery test to make sure your car battery has enough power to start through cold temperatures.

Do I Really Need to Change Out My Fluids?

While you don’t have to change your fluids before winter, you certainly don’t want to tough out the season with fluids that are aging. This could lead to frozen coolant hoses, and frozen brake lines. Because winter weather can challenge your car the most, we recommend you top off all of your fluids and change out the ones that are due to be replaced to minimize the risk of a breakdown.

Do I Need to Warm Up my Car?

Although today’s engines are less temperamental to winter weather, we still recommend letting your car idle for three to five minutes in the winter before driving off. In cold weather, your oil can thicken and will travel through your engine more slowly. Allowing your engine to idle for just a few minutes allows your oil to warm up so it can thin out and travel through your engine more freely, and provide the best protection for your engine.

Should I Switch to Snow Tires?

Winter conditions here in Pennsylvania often include snow and ice. Some drivers prefer to switch to snow tires to give them the best traction in exchange for a little less fuel economy and smoothness on the road, while their drivers get along just fine with their all-season tires.

Whichever you decide, we recommend ensuring that you have more than enough tire tread to give you the vital traction you need in snow and ice.

Should I Change My Windshield Wipers?

We recommend that you change your wiper blades at least once per year!

Should I Carry an Emergency Kit?

Absolutely! If you’re ever stranded during a winter storm, or in low visibility conditions, it can take a while for help to arrive. Be sure to have an emergency kit with everything from flares and flashlights to emergency blankets and snow scrapers.

Trust Spitzer AutoWorld for All of Your Winter Car Service

Did these winter car care tips help you realize that your car isn’t ready for winter? No problem! At Spitzer Chevrolet St Marys, we offer certified Chevrolet maintenance and services and we use genuine GM replacement parts. We’re located in St. Marys, and we welcome drivers in Johnsonburg, PA and Kersey, PA to take advantage of the incredible services that we offer.

We even strive to help you save big with our Service Specials! Schedule service today and trust your Chevy in the hands of the experts.