Page 19 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – November/December 2017

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
Winter Season Car Care
AAA
Ask the Tech
QUESTION:
In Central Pennsylvania is it better to use all-season tires or snow tires in the winter?
ANSWER:
Thanks for the question. With the cold weather we need to make sure our car is ready by checking the vehicle over completely. With a good battery, cooling system, brakes, steering and suspension we need to make sure we can get where we need to by having proper traction in all conditions winter can bring.
There is no better choice of tires than snow tires when it comes to driving on snow, ice, slush, and cold roads. Snow tires offer several features that make them the optimum choice for winter driving, but the two main features are in the compound of the rubber used to make the tire and the design of the tread itself.
Snow tires are made with a different compound of rubber that stays more flexible and softer in the cold of winter, which allows better traction to get the vehicle moving through turns, and to decrease the stopping distance when braking. All-season tires tend to get hard at temperatures below 40 degrees. This increases the stopping distance and grip with even dry roads. So, if you don’t drive in inclement weather the cold temperature alone is a good reason to purchase snow tires.
Snow tires also have different tread designs as compared to all-season tires. They are designed for the purpose of driving on slush and snow, so they have deeper and wider grooves, and a tread design to propel water, slush and snow from its tread as the tires rotate to ensure that there is always clean, open tread for optimum traction. All-season tires are designed for wet roads but don’t have the oversized grooves, which then become clogged with snow, ice or slush, making it nearly impossible to have traction. Snow tires also have sipes (small cuts or grooves) within the rubber to give the tire much more biting surface for increased traction.
If you are thinking about getting snow tires it
is best to have a complete matching set on the vehicle for optimum handling. You don’t want to use them in the warmer weather, as the rubber is softer and will wear quickly at high temperatures.
Bruce White II
Owner and Operator, Central Auto Works
Bruce White II is the owner and operator of Central Auto Works in Annville, PA, a full-service automotive repair facility. He started it in 2011, after working many years as a technician in new car dealerships. He employs ASE-certified technicians and the shop is a NAPA Auto Care Center as well as a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility.
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By Bruce Phillips
AAA Central Penn’s Approved Auto Repair Manager
Winter can be a beautiful time of the year, when 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 the training, technology, and technician standards that are required by AAA
to be in the program. They offer a 24,000-mile or 24-month warranty on all repair work and offer a discount on labor through the AAA Discounts and Rewards program.
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 the heating and defrosting systems.
Looking at your vehicle’s needs, start off by making sure 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 as much as one to two pounds of air 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 wear evenly.
Other important items that should be checked are the battery, charging and starting systems. Have your AAR facility verify everything is in good condition and that the battery is strong
for wintertime starting. If you can’t make it to
the garage, call AAA to have the mobile battery service come to your home or business to check everything and, if needed, to replace your battery.
Have the AAR facility check all your vehicle lights and their operations because with winter being a darker season, it’s necessary to have all lights working. Also have them verify that your ignition components, brake system, belts and hoses, exhaust system, heater and defroster are operating as designed and that there are no fluid leaks. Make sure the engine cooling system is working properly, has no leaks, and has a freezing temperature good to at least -25 degrees below zero. One other area that is often overlooked
in winter maintenance is wiper and washer operation. We recommend special winter wipers during this time of year because their design keeps snow from freezing in the blades.
Also use special low-temperature windshield washer fluid in the washer bottle so that it doesn’t freeze up.
For additional information about the AAA Approved Auto Repair program, visit your local AAA branch office or go to AAA.com/AAR.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017
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