Elk River, MN, winter weather is really cold. We see lows in January of 4 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ve probably shivered in your automobile trying to get it started on a freezing morning, wondering why on earth it refuses to fire up. Let’s talk about how icy temperatures affect your car, truck, or C/SUV and what we here at The Shop Tire and Service Center can do now to help protect your vehicle later.
How Freezing Temperatures Affect Your Automobile
Once the mercury hits 32 degrees or lower, your vehicle’s battery chemical reaction slows down by 30 percent, coolant/antifreeze expands if there’s too much water in it, gasoline loses its ability to vaporize and ignite, and motor oil thickens and turns into a goopy mess. This is why you struggle to get your car started on a freezing morning, and also why freezing temperatures can seriously damage your engine.
Vehicle Maintenance Can Help Protect Your Vehicle
We offer our customers fall preventative maintenance to protect their cars, trucks, and utility vehicles against winter weather, and we’d be happy to give you the same peace of mind in your vehicle. With winter just around the corner, now is the perfect time for a vehicle inspection that
- Tests the battery to ensure it can handle a 30-percent-plus power loss
- Flushes and refills the antifreeze to remove excess water from the cooling system
- Inspects the fuel system for sludge and carbon buildup
- Replaces the motor oil with synthetic oil that stands up to freezing temperatures
- Inspects the tires for plenty of tread to cut through snow and ice
The goal of our fall maintenance service is to prepare your automobile for winter leaving no stone unturned. Cold weather affects everything from belts to fluids to hoses to parts, so we’ll check these things and replace anything that we think won’t make it through the winter.
We’ll Keep You in Mind, Too
We know how winter weather affects your driving ability and road safety. You need plenty of de-icing windshield wash and new wiper blades to give you the best visibility in whiteouts. You need a reliable braking system and tires on slick roads. You need a safe and reliable automobile.
Look no further than The Shop Tire and Service Center in Elk River, MN, to get you that safe and reliable automobile. Our ASE-certified and experienced mechanics understand how winter affects automobiles and gets them ready to stand up to Mother Nature. Call our shop at 763-316-0173 to schedule an appointment for your vehicle’s winter-weather inspection and preventative maintenance.