How to Get Your Vehicle Winter Ready

It’s a no-brainer that the cold and predictable winter conditions can wreak havoc on your Honda. Usually, you get yourself warm winter outfits such as boots and jackets. But, do you know that your car also needs to get winterized? Well, the frigid winter conditions can take a toll on your vehicle, thus the need to ensure it’s ready to stand anything that comes its way. Here are some tips on how to get your Honda winter ready. If you have any questions, call Performance Honda Fairfield at (513) 829-7300.

Install Winter Tires

It’s dangerous to keep using your regular tires during winter. Switching to winter tires is advisable, especially if you live in a city like Fairfield, which experiences heavy snowfall. The snow tires come in handy when driving slippery and snowy roads since they are designed to grip the road surface.

Winter tires improve handling and driving safety by enhancing traction when driving on snowy and icy surfaces. Whether you drive a regular Honda or a four-wheel drive, installing winter tires will save you a lot of trouble come winter. It’s best to use four matching winter tires. Typically, these tires feature a snowflake/mountain winter tire symbol and have a tread of less than 3.5 millimeters.

In most Ohio cities, including Fairfield, tires featuring an M+S (mud and snow) symbol are legally accepted. Nonetheless, they don’t provide the same grip in severe winter conditions as the recommended snowflake tires you’ll get at Performance Honda.

Check the Tire Pressure

In winter, roads are usually slippery, and this increases the risk of accidents. Even after installing winter tires on your Honda, it’s best to ascertain that they have the recommended pressure. Driving on rain and snow-slicked roads is dangerous, let alone doing so on tires with low pressure.

To reduce the risk of accidents and similar incidents, ensure your tires are correctly inflated throughout winter. You’ll have better control over the vehicle, besides lowering your fuel costs.

Check the Battery

Cold starts are tricky, even if your Honda doesn’t have a weak battery or corroded cables. It’s even worse in winter, not to mention the prospect of spending a few hours in the cold next to a car that won’t start.

When preparing your car for winter, it’s best to bring it to Performance Honda so our experts can inspect its battery and charging system for any faults. When you come to our dealership in Fairfield, we will thoroughly inspect the battery and cables. If necessary, we will clean and replace dirty or worn-out parts to ensure that you never get stranded come winter.

Change the Wiper Blades

Optimum visibility is crucial to safe driving in the dark, icy and rainy conditions that characterize winter. If your car’s wiper blades don’t work, you’re in for a long winter since you’re likely to end up overspending on new ones in desperation.

It’s senseless to wait until the first winter storm hits before you realize that your wiper blades need replacing or you don’t have any cleaning fluid left. Replacing the wipers and refilling the cleaning fluid early will save you a lot of stress and money.

To know whether your wiper blades need to get replaced, inspect your Honda’s windshield for signs of wear. For example, the presence of splitting marks on the windshield could mean that the wiper blades are worn out. If that’s the case, they won’t be able to effectively clear ice and rainwater from the windshield, thus the need to replace them.

At Performance Honda, we stock specialized winter wiper blades for all Honda models. So, if you are not clearing the windshield effectively and need to replace them, do not hesitate to visit our dealership in Fairfield. We will install high-strength wiper blades that last through the winter season. Besides, we’ll switch your Honda’s wiper fluid to a winter version. You’ll never have to worry about ice or slush formation on your windshield when driving.

Check the Brakes

There’s no worse time to have faulty brakes than in winter, thanks to the slippery roads and poor visibility. So to avoid unnecessary emergencies and endangering your and your passengers’ well-being, inspect your car’s brakes in autumn to ascertain that they work correctly.

You may also want to replace the brakes on your Honda ahead of winter. Indeed, this is costly, but the money you spend will be worth it and less than your expenses if your car’s faulty brakes cause an accident. As part of our scheduled Honda service, we offer brake replacement. Schedule the service and have your brakes replaced by experts.

Get Under the Hood

Image via Flickr by lotprocars

In winter, fluids such as engine oil tend to thicken. Therefore, your car’s battery will need more oomph for the engine to start. It’s best to check the battery’s charge and oil levels before winter to avoid unpleasant surprises. While checking under your car’s hood, don’t forget to inspect hoses and belts for any breaks or leaks.

At Performance Honda, we offer free winter car checks for our customers in Fairfield. It’s equally advisable to change your Honda’s engine oil before winter. Start the season with fresh engine oil even when the scheduled date hasn’t arrived. In winter, the optimum engine oil will keep the motor running smoothly, besides preventing rough starts.

Check the Antifreeze

Before winter, make sure your Honda’s antifreeze is at the recommended level. If it’s running low, there’s a high risk of freezing in the radiator, which prevents the engine from cooling. Likewise, if the antifreeze isn’t working, the engine won’t cool. As your go-to Honda dealership in Fairfield, we’ll ensure you have the recommended mix of antifreeze to safeguard your engine.

Winter weather can be brutal on your vehicle and its engine. The swings in precipitation and temperature could affect your car’s performance as well as your comfort. Don’t run the risk of an accident or spending hours in the cold when you can schedule a service with Honda Performance. We’ll winterize your car to guarantee its well-being through the cold season.

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