Common Car Issues Coming Out Of Winter
Winter is finally over, and although many places around the country are dealing with the last few cold days and even snows of the season, spring is knocking at the door. This winter was extremely unique, as millions of Americans all over the country were quarantined to their homes as the COVID-19 pandemic ran through our country. That meant that people who were normally driving their cars every day to get to and from work or school suddenly found their vehicles to be sitting stationary for much longer periods. This extended stationary period hasn’t just been tough on people, your vehicle has been feeling the strain of this long and strange winter. If you want to help your vehicle come out of 2020 and hit the road running, come into one of your local Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers today. Our team of expert and certified service technicians will help you get all your vehicle maintenance needs taken care of in one quick afternoon. Click here to schedule your vehicle checkup today. Here are three things to common issues that can happen as we come out of winter.
Battery Issues
Cold weather is extremely tough on your vehicle’s electrical components, specifically your battery. Over the course of a single winter season, your battery could lose up to 20% of its overall capacity. Now that the weather is starting to warm up, your battery should hold more of a charge than it was able to throughout the winter, but if you haven’t been driving your vehicle very much over the past few months, it may already be too late. You can easily tell if your battery is struggling by checking the terminals to see if there has been any battery acid leaking out. This leakage can cause serious damage to both your battery and the rest of your engine, so make sure that you check your terminals. If your vehicle is struggling to start up, or if your lights are dim, you may need to change your battery as well.
Low Fluid Levels
As the temperatures increase and you begin driving your vehicle more, you will inevitably begin going through your vehicle’s fluids. Depending on how much you drove your vehicle over the winter, your fluids might have also taken damage or deteriorated from the cold. Fluids like oil and wiper fluid are easy enough to check, though other fluids, like transmission fluid, will require a mechanic to inspect thoroughly.
Old Tires
If you had to transition to snow tires or have older tires on your vehicle, you need to change out your tires as soon as possible. Snow tires are made out of a softer rubber which is great for gripping cold and snowy roads, but won’t be able to hold up to warm roads. If you are not sure what kind of tires you have or how old your tires are, we are happy to do an inspection the next time you come into our shops. If you are interested in getting ahead of your vehicle maintenance or want to make sure that your car or truck is ready for the change of the seasons, contact one of your local Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers today.
