Winter Vehicle Maintenance Tips | Royal Moore Mazda
Ice, snow, bad weather, and fewer daylight hours are just some of the hazards that you have to contend with during the colder months. If you want your vehicle to run just as well in the winter as it did in the summer, check out these maintenance tips from Royal Moore Mazda in Hillsboro, OR.
Check the oil.
In order for the oil to lubricate the moving parts of your engine, it must flow freely. As the temperatures drop, the oil thickens, making your engine less efficient. To prevent this from happening, you need to use the type specified in your owner’s manual. In the winter, look for a "W" as part of the viscosity index, which simply means that the oil is specially formulated for lower temperatures, although they will work year-round. Recommended indexes include 5W-20, 5W-30, and 10W-30.
Make an emergency kit.
When you're waiting for a repair in the middle of a snowstorm or need to trudge through the snow to get help after a breakdown, an emergency kit can keep you safe and warm. Put the following items in a small bag or backpack that you can take with you if you need to leave.
- A snow brush and ice scraper to eliminate ice and snow from your windows and windshield.
- A bag of kitty litter or sand that you can spread around your tires to increase traction.
- A folding shovel to remove snow from your tires.
- Jumper cables to restart a dead battery.
- Emergency warning devices, such as folding orange triangles and road flares.
- A flashlight and extra batteries to light up dark areas of your car.
- A portable battery to recharge your smartphone.
- Multi-tool to make minor repairs.
- First aid kit to take care of minor injuries.
- Snacks and bottled water to keep you satisfied.
- Winter gear such as hats, mittens, and blankets to keep you warm.
Test the lights.
If your lights are not functioning properly, you may not know it because they are out of view as you're driving. To test these vital pieces of equipment, ask a relative or friend to sit in the driver’s seat and test out all the illumination, such as by tapping on the brake pedal. When this is happening, you can walk around the vehicle to determine if all the lights are working.
If you discover a burned-out bulb, you can typically replace it yourself inexpensively by buying a bulb at your local auto parts store and following the instructions on the package or in your owner's manual. Alternatively, you can bring it to our Service Department and ask our technicians to repair it for you.
Check the tires.
All-season or summer tires work fine when the weather is warm but begin to stiffen and lose their grip on surfaces once the temperature drops and the roads are covered in ice and snow. Winter tires are formulated from compounds that are designed to remain flexible even in cold weather, which maintains their traction. They also have more patterns and greater depth in their treads, which are also designed to expel water and maximize surface grip.
Before the season starts, replace your tires with winter versions. Find a tire center that offers a hotel service. They will not only swap out your tires for you, but they can also store your all-season tires during the winter and swap them back in again when spring comes.
Change the wiper blades.
Your wiper blades may be all that stands between you and impaired visuals during a snowstorm or heavy rain. They only last about six months. If your blades are missing much of the water on your windshield or are leaving streaks, then they need to be replaced. You need to look at these blades regularly. If they are becoming brittle or have tears, then they need to be changed.
Your auto parts store should have winter blades, which are designed for extremely cold conditions. Their lower number of parts have less chance of freezing up and breaking. And the material is strong enough to remove snow and ice while resisting their build-up.
Bring it in.
The most convenient way to deal with upcoming cold weather is to bring your vehicle into the Service Department at Royal Moore Mazda. Our factory-certified automotive technicians are experts in your brand and can do everything on this list and more, except prepare your emergency kit. They will use only manufacturer-approved parts to keep your vehicle functioning properly in the winter.
