Page 15 - AAA Now! – AAA Central Penn – Fall/Winter 2020

AUTOMOTIVE
Your Vehicle Needs
Extra Care
to Combat the Winter’s Cold and Snow Bruce Phillips – AAA Approved Auto Repair Manager
Wintertime can be a beautiful time of the year, where after a snowfall everything is covered in a blanket of glistening white. But for your vehicle, snow, ice, and cold are anything but good.
All of your vehicle’s mechanical and electrical systems are subjected to very harsh conditions
in the winter that can cause them
to fail and create the need to use
a AAA tow truck. To avoid this scenario from happening, there are some simple things that can be done to help protect your vehicle.
First, before winter sets in,
schedule your vehicle to be
serviced and checked over by a
reliable automotive repair facility.
Your local AAA Approved Auto
Repair (AAR) facility fits the bill nicely for this service. AAA inspects them yearly and certifies that they meet our training, technology, and technician standards that are required by AAA to be in the program. For information about these standards go to AAA.com/AAR. All AAR facilities now offer a 2-year or 24,000-mile parts and labor warranty for repairs performed
with new parts (some restrictions may apply). Also, as a AAA member you are entitled to at least a 10% off labor discount on repair work to a maximum discount of $50.00 (exclusions may apply).
Make sure the oil and filter are freshly changed going into winter, to make sure of proper oil flow when it gets very cold. The air filter for the engine and the cabin filter for the interior should be checked and replaced if needed to reduce the chance of something causing a reduced air flow either to the engine or to the heating and defrosting systems.
Looking at your vehicle’s needs, start off by making sure that the parts of the car that touch the road are all in good shape. Make sure all your tires have plenty of tread and are correctly inflated. Tires in cold weather can lose air – as much as 1 to
2 lbs. for every drop of 10
degrees or more. Check the tire pressures regularly in the winter. Also, while having your service done, see if a tire alignment or tire rotation should be done to make sure your car is tracking properly and helping your tires to wear evenly.
Other important items that should be checked are the battery, charging and starting systems. Have your AAR facility verify that everything is in good condition and the battery
is strong for wintertime starting. If you can’t make it to the garage, call
AAA and have their mobile battery service come to your home or business to check everything and replace your battery, if needed. Check with AAA, because AAA battery service is not available in all areas.
Have the AAR facility check all of your vehicle’s lights and
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