October is Fall Care Care Month

The first few days of fall are under our belts, and while it seems unlikely with the temperatures still hanging out in the mid-90s every afternoon, cool weather will soon be upon us. As such, it’s the perfect time to do some seasonal maintenance on your car to get you ready for fall travel, shorter days and colder temps.

A professional regular car wash remains one of the absolute best ways to maintain your car’s value month after month and year after year. In all kinds of weather, regular washing and waxing maintains the look of your vehicle and also provides a level of protection against the elements and destructive materials like road salt. Snap Dog recommends washing once a week (or more if you’re as particular as we are about how your car looks!). A monthly pass is the best way to get a great wash and a great value.

Here are Snap Dog’s Fall Car Care Tips:

Check fluid levels for major vehicle systems. A big part of vehicle maintenance is just keeping the fluids at the appropriate levels and making sure they are clean. Check oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid and power steering fluid, or get your mechanic to do a once over. This is especially important if you plan to travel to colder climates during the fall and winter months. Heading for the ski slopes? Make sure all fluids are in good shape. Don’t forget about your windshield wiper fluid and antifreeze!

Check your tires! As the weather gets cooler and temperatures drop, so does your tire pressure. While you’re airing up those tires, it’s a great time to grab a penny and check the tread level. To perform this test, take a penny and point Abe Lincoln’s head toward the center of your car wheel and insert the penny into the tread of your tires. If any part of Mr. Lincoln’s head shows above the tire tread, you need new tires.

Change your windshield wipers. We recommend changing wiper blades every six months and buying the best wiper blades you can afford. The nicer the blade, the smoother it will glide across your windshield. Wipers should glide fairly quietly across the glass of your windshield. If they’re bumping along and making a lot of noise, they probably need to be replaced.

Inspect and recondition headlights. Most cars will indicate when it’s time to change out a headlight or tail light bulb, but older vehicles sometimes need a little more TLC. Take a look at your headlights themselves. If the plastic covering yellowing or looking old? A fogged or yellowed tail light can impact visibility on the road. You can purchase an inexpensive headlight reconditioning kit to clean the aging plastic components and restore the look of your headlights while also improving illumination.