The number of drivers suffering from battery problems increase substantially in the fall, says Craig Bidlake, owner of NZ Auto Works on West Second Avenue.
“We see a lot of batteries fail in the fall,” said Bidlake.
He explained that as the temperature drops, more cold cranking amps are needed to start a vehicle. Cold cranking amps determine how much power a driver has to start their car.
“Batteries need a lot more cold cranking amps on colder mornings, so we see a big influx of battery problems in the fall,” he said.
To guard against dead batteries, Bidlake said they must be topped up with coolant to ensure the PH balance is correct and up to standard. And since you’re going to be at the garage anyway, he advises drivers to have their snow tires installed or that they purchase a set before the first snowfall.
“People who wait until the first snowfall to buy them end up in lineups around the block,” said Bidlake. “According to most manufacturer’s instructions, you should start using your snow tires as soon as the temperature reaches seven degrees, which is a typical Vancouver winter.”
He added summer tires are made up of a much harder compound than the winter version. He compared using winter tires in the summer to “driving in butter,” and added that’s a sure way to wear them out early.
Bidlake noted even if a driver only uses their winter tires for six months at a time, they should still be replaced every six years because that’s when the rubber compound begins to harden.
“And that’s when you should just run them out as summer tires and then get rid of them,” he advised.
A good time to have winter tires installed is when a driver makes an appointment for their fall oil change.
He noted with today’s vehicles, changing the oil every three to four months is not necessary. Improvements to oil means a vehicle really only needs to have it changed once in the summer and then again in the fall.
Bidlake noted many automotive garages and service stations offer fall and summer driving packages, which is a good opportunity to have all of necessary vehicle maintenance done at the same time. He added as part of that package, mechanics should also be checking out the vehicle’s brakes during the installation of winter tires or while rotating the existing set.
Another vital car part of concern when moving from summer to winter driving is the windshield wipers.
“Wipers are a big thing in the winter,” said Bidlake. “The rubber gets hard in the summer and soft in the winter and the first time you have a heavy rain, you’ll see how much you need them. When you have new wipers installed you’ll see what a difference they make”
The same goes for lights. Bidlake said a fall maintenance package should also include a check of all of a vehicle’s lights to ensure they’re not burned out or have dimmed with time.
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