Fall Maintenance Tips for your Car

This is something you should be doing far more than seasonally. Your vehicle’s fluids are vital to the health of its engine. The various fluids lubricate, cool, and perform other vital functions that help keep your car running and driving. Checking the fluids of your car is simple and only takes a few minutes of your time. Pop the hood and check the engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, automatic transmission fluid, and power steering fluid.

The tires on your vehicle are vital to the safety and handling of your vehicle. They can also affect the braking ability, coming into Fall with its wet leaves on the ground and winter with its snow and ice. Therefore, you want your tires to be at their best. The first thing you will want to check is the tread depth using a dedicated gauge. It is best to measure the outer tread, the center tread, and the inner tread. It is recommended to replace your tires if there is 4/32″ of tread remaining at any point. However, if the tread depth is reading 2/32″ or less, you will want to replace the tires immediately as they are a safety hazard. Once you have checked your tire tread, you will want to check the tire pressure. When checking the pressure, ensure that the tires are inflated to the specification listed on the placard inside the door jamb.

Just like with the tires, your vehicle’s brakes are vital to its safety performance. It’s always good to check your brakes a least twice a year to ensure they’re in good condition. Check your brakes yourself can be tricky. If you are not mechanically inclined, one of the factory-certified technicians at Warsaw CDJR would be happy to help. Just like with your tires, there is an acceptable measurement. With bakes, then there is 4mm of friction material remaining. Most professionals recommend replacing the brake pads. A reading of 3mm or less indicates the brake pads are a safety hazard and should be replaced immediately.

With cooler mornings right around the corner, it is a good time to ensure your vehicle heat is working properly. Automotive heating systems rely on hot engine coolants, so if the heater is blowing cold air, you likely have a problem somewhere within the cooling system. Common problems for no heat are, thermostat getting stuck open, a faulty water pump, or a clogged heater core. Unless you are very mechanically smart its is best to have a technician replace these parts.

No one wants to be stranded on the side of the road in the winter. So before those freezing temperatures hit, take care of any know problems and those regular maintenance items you have been putting off. Lack of maintenance is one of the most common reasons for mechanical breakdowns. Problems that seem small at the time can snowball quickly into much bigger ones. For example, take that small leaky radiator hose that leads to low or no coolant, which then turns into an engine overheating, leading to catastrophic engine damage.

If you would like help checking any of these items or something else you feel needs to be looked at, the Service team at Warsaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram would be happy to help. Our technicians are highly trained and certified to perform whatever work you may need on your vehicle. They also have access to the latest specialized technology and precise analysis from Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Wagoneer trained auto repair technicians who undergo regular, frequent training. Hence, they’re always up-to-date on every component of your vehicle.