Fall Maintenance Checks to Keep You Safe
Fall is just around the corner here in Tacoma. You can feel it in the air. The weather is cooling down, the leaves are starting to get that faint red hue, and no doubt you’ve noticed buses are back on the roads ferrying kids back and forth from home to school. As we prepare to settle in to this new season, it’s important to make sure that your car is ready for the change too. Here are 4 essential fall maintenance checks for your car to prepare for autumn this year.
Get Your Tires Checked
As the weather starts to change and we enter into the colder months and rainier season, it’s important tot make sure your tires are up to the task. Make sure that you don’t have any leaks or holes in your tires, or any nails sticking out anywhere. You should also make sure your tire tread is deep enough to keep your tires gripping the road and to keep you safe during your daily commute, even in the rainiest conditions.
You can check your tread using the quarter test.
Take a normal quarter and insert it into the tire tread (Washington’s head pointing towards the center of the tire). If you can see Mr. Washington hair, it’s time to change out your tires, as your tread is too low and traction is near nothing.
Keep in min that you’ll want to replace all four tires at once to prevent uneven wear and get the most out of your new tires.
Also make sure to check your tire pressure. Colder weather can affect PSI readings, so make sure to check regularly. You can either buy a gauge from your local automotive store, or check your local gas station air machine to see if they have one. Goodyear warns that you don’t look at the sidewall to tell what your recommended tire pressure should be. This is because the number on the sidewalk is typically the maximum pressure that tire can withstand, not the recommended number. If you go off of the sidewall you could even up over-inflating your tires, which can be just as bad as under-inflating them.
Check your Brakes
Braking in stop-and-go traffic through downtown Tacoma is already a pain. It can get dangerous during rainy or stormy weather. Being able to brake quickly when you need to is critical to keeping you, your passengers, and fellow drives safe on the road. You’ll want to have your rotors, calipers, brake pads, and fluid levels checked to make sure that your brakes are able to withstand the bad weather that is sure to come. Our team here at Courtesy Auto and Tire Repair in Tacoma is ready and able to check your brakes and help keep you safe on the road this fall.
Windshield Wipers: Check ‘Em
Rain, snow, hail or more, windshield wipers help keep visibility clear and keep us safe on the roads. If your wiper blades are malfunctioning or simply puttering out, you could be real trouble under the right (i.e. wrong) circumstances. You can buy a fresh set of wiper blades at any automotive store. Or, next time you’re at Courtesy Auto, have one of our technicians install a new pair for you.
Make Sure Your Lights are On
As the days get shorter and it starts to get darker earlier, it’s vital to have a good, strong pair of headlights to light up the darkness. Some bulbs can last years depending on your vehicle. Still, it’s better to check now and switch them out before you need to. It’s better put in a fresh pair of bulbs than get stranded without. Just like with tires, you’ll want to make sure you replace both lights at the same time to avoid uneven wear or one going out before the other.
These fall maintenance checks can help keep you safe, but accidents happens. If you need maintenance or services, give our team at Courtesy Auto and Tire Repair in Tacoma a call!