Winter comes with changing road conditions that require vehicle maintenance to prepare for the harsh weather ahead. Scheduling maintenance services and addressing minor repairs will help ensure your safety and your vehicle’s efficiency and extend its life span. Keep the following tips in mind.

Essential Winter Vehicle Maintenance

1. Check Your Fluid Levels

Your vehicle relies on fluids to keep moving parts lubricated and cool and systems operational. In the winter, these fluids become even more important. If it's time for an oil change, use one specifically rated for cold temperatures. Also, ensure your transmission and brake fluid, coolant, and windshield wiper fluid levels are sufficient.

Because transmission and brake fluids are typically contained in a sealed system, you may need a vehicle maintenance technician to check them. Additionally, keep your gas tank as close to full as possible, since this will reduce the risk of the fuel pump freezing.

2. Service Your Tires

Snow and ice reduce traction on the road’s surface and can make it more difficult to bring your vehicle to a complete stop, particularly if the tires have low tread or minor damage. Cold temperatures cause air to condense, thus decreasing tire pressure at a rate of around one pound per square inch (PSI) per month and increasing drag and wear.

Have a vehicle maintenance specialist inspect the tires to make sure they have sufficient tread and are free of bubbles, weakened walls, or other issues. Those who live in areas where snow and ice are common may want to invest in snow tires for efficient performance and safety.

3. Maintain Your Battery

Cold weather slows chemical reactions such as the one inside your car battery. An older battery that functions well in warm weather may have trouble supplying power to the starter motor or may not work at all in the winter. Get your battery’s output measured, and replace it if it’s not functioning properly or is more than three years old.

Prepare your car for winter weather with help from the vehicle maintenance experts at Reffitt's Garage & Towing Service, Auto Body Repair LLC in Hamilton, OH. For more than four decades, they’ve helped area drivers address maintenance and repair jobs of all sizes, from oil changes to collision repair, and they offer towing services. Call (513) 863-3008 to schedule an appointment, and visit them online for more information.