ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 16, 1996 TAG: 9610160010
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: MARTEKPLACE
SOURCE: MEGAN SCNABEL
The warm weather we've had the past few days has us all discarding sweaters in favor of short sleeves again, but don't be fooled.
Winter is coming, and your car may not be ready. Even though weather in Southwest Virginia doesn't approach the arctic blasts of Maine or Minnesota, we do get nasty cold snaps and snowstorms that can wreak havoc on your automobile.
What you need to have done to winterize your vehicle depends on how you use it, said Don Sharrer, owner of S&H Auto Service in Roanoke. If you're out in all kinds of weather, you probably should take your vehicle in for a full troubleshooting session. If you tend to drive as little as possible during the winter, you may be OK with just a quick check.
All auto owners, though, should follow a few basic guidelines:
*Check your coolant. A 50/50 ratio of antifreeze and water will give you protection to 35 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
*Put on your mud and snow tires.
*Check all belts and hoses for leaks and fraying.
*Keep an emergency kit in your trunk. This may include blankets, a flashlight - with batteries you've tested recently, sand or cat litter, a small shovel, flares, a first-aid kit and, of course, a spare tire and jack.
If you've noticed any other problems with your car recently - if you've had trouble getting it started, for instance - this is the perfect time to have things checked. Here's a list of potential problems and winterizing suggestions from Sharrer, the national Car Care Council and American Automobile Association of Virginia.
The electrical system
RRRRR-rrrr-rrr. RRRR-rrr-rr. Click. Click.
Ah, the sound of a dead car battery on a frigid winter morning. In cold weather, demands on the battery increase. Oil is thicker when it's cold, so the engine doesn't turn over as easily, and wintertime driving - using the defroster and heater blower, driving with the lights on - can drain the electrical system.
Make sure the battery terminals and cables are securely attached and are free of corrosion. If your battery is not maintenance-free, check the water level.
O If you've had any work done on your cooling system in the last year,
double-check the coolant strength. Sometimes, Sharrer said, a service station
will drain the system to make repairs, then refill it with water only, to
check for leaks. If they forgot to add antifreeze back into the system, you
could end up with a frozen engine.
You don't necessarily need to have your system flushed, even if you've put
a lot of miles on your car. Mechanics have begun using paper test strips to
check the acidity and strength of antifreeze, Sharrer said, and they have
discovered that flushes aren't needed as often as once thought.
"We probably were doing it too much in the past," he said.
Under the car
Tires, steering and braking systems are especially important in winter
weather, as you know, if you drove at all during last winter's snowstorms.
Wheel balancing and alignment, plus a careful under-car inspection, may be
wise investments. If you've had any exhaust system problems, now's the time to
get them fixed. Leaking exhaust is dangerous in winter, when car windows are
closed.
Lubrication, etc.
Standard practice in the fall is to give your car its seasonal service,
including oil change, lubrication and replacement of filters. If your car
requires a lighter grade of oil in winter, now is the time to change.
Seeing, being seen Check all lights, defrosters and windshield wipers and
washers. Keep headlights clean of dirt and sludge. Lighting power and
visibility are reduced up to 90 percent by dirty headlights.
Paint and body
Salt on the streets means rust on the car. Touch up dings and scratches and
give your car a protective coat before the weather turns cold.
If you've had no problems and just want your service station to give your
car a once-over, you can expect to spend $20 or so, Sharrer said. A radiator
flush will run you another $30 to $50.
While S&H starts doing winter checks in midsummer, there are always those
customers who wait until the cold winds blow - sometimes until January - to
winterize their cars, Sharrer said.
"Usually when we have the first real cold snap, then people will start to
think, 'Hey, I haven't done anything with my antifreeze yet,'" he said.
The Automotive Information Center maintains a site on the World Wide Web -
at http://www.autosite.com. - that includes sections on troubleshooting and
diagrams of some basic under-the-hood components. It's not a substitute for
talking to your mechanic, of course, but it's a place to start if you want to
get a basic idea of what might be wrong.
And by the middle of next month, you'll be able to get a copy of AAA's
revised guide to winterizing your car. The materials will be available at your
local AAA office.
winter. color.
KEYWORDS: MGR
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by staff: How to keep your car running in the
by CNB