Getting your car ready for winter

Times have changed and so have the cars here are a few tips.

Rotating your tires is still a routine exercise but today your car may require the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) to be retrained after you rotate the tires so that the dash reports the correct pressures and tire locations. Putting the system into training mode can be as easy as one GM system where having the key on and holding the lock and unlock buttons on your key fob until the horn sounds two times. Then you can first go to the left front tire and let out some air from the tire and the horn will beep one time. The horn beeps when the system receives the tire pressure sensors signal which goes into a fast update when the tire pressure changes rapidly. Continue the retraining by going around the car to the right front and repeat the step of letting some air out, then onto the right rear tire and finally the left rear tire. When the last tire is trained the horn will beep twice again instead of just once.  If you only get one beep at each wheel you may have to access the spare tire as well. The last step is to then reset all of your tires to the proper specification which will be on a label on the driver’s door or its frame. This was just one example, there are a lot of different systems out there so consult service information or your local shop for your model.

Time to change your oil?

There was a time that the only thing you needed to know was the SAE grade and to look for the API and ILSAC ratings. Today even the simple oil change is much more complicated. Specifications like GM’s dexos1, Chrysler’s MS6395R, Ford’s WSS-M2C930-A all greatly exceed the current API SN and ILSAC GF5 ratings. The engine oil life monitor systems on today’s cars countdown start-ups, mileage driven, temperature conditions and will alert the driver once it’s time to have the oil and filter changed. While conventional oils may last the 6000 miles that Honda and other Asian manufacturers require, they often do not last long enough for Ford and GM vehicles which can call for serices to be done in the 7000 to 10,000 mile range while a manufacturer like BMW may reach 15000 miles.

Is it time to replace your battery?

For many people replacing a battery when it gets to be five years old is simply about buying the peace of mind that they know the car will start once the bad weather really hits. For others they will make that battery to go until they know that it needs to be replaced. Either way there is more to it than just dropping in a new one. One step is to attach a memory minder so that the car doesn’t get completely depowered while the battery is replaced. That’s pretty convenient for not needing to reset your clock and the radio stations but it also keeps the other memories on important computer systems from being cleared which can have some unpleasant surprises. Another important issue is today the charging systems are computer controlled and it has been adjusting to that older battery and that will cause it to charge the new one incorrectly if that isn’t reset. Many techs associate that with manufacturers like BMW, when in fact just about every manufacturer has this function. Once again consult service information for specific details about your car.

Engine Coolant, Antifreeze

Beware of claims of universal antifreeze, there is no one size fits all specification. Some manufacturers require silicates, while others ban them. The same goes for phosphates, and borates which are all good for some things that may be used in a car’s cooling system and can be bad for others. When you go to the parts store to buy new antifreeze consider buying it pre-mixed where you don’t add water. That saves you an important step that most don’t realize. Antifreeze isn’t designed to be used with tap water, if you buy concentrate you are supposed to mix it with distilled water.

Did your doors freeze and get stuck closed last year?

A little silicone spray on the rubber door seals will displace the moisture that can freeze and make it difficult to open the door in the morning.

Do you need to use dry gas or injector cleaner?

Gasoline today is up to 10% ethanol which is an alcohol. “Dry gas” is normally isopropyl alcohol, and a common property of each is they like to be in solution with water more than they do gasoline. Dry gas never took water out of fuel, it simply helps prevent any water in the system from freezing, so no,  you really shouldn’t need to use a dry gas additive anymore  but injector cleaner is different. Using an extra injector cleaner additive can help keep your car running better and a good rule of thumb is use it once a year or every 25,000 miles. Manufactures like GM recommend Chevron Techron especially if you normally don’t purchase a Top Tier fuel. That’s a subject you should Google, Top Tier Fuel, there is a difference in gasolines that you can run in your car.