
Preparing Your Vehicle for Northern Michigan's Coldest Months
Whether you are dropping your kids
off at school or running to the grocery store for this week's groceries, you
need a reliable vehicle to depend on, especially in the winter. With yet
another frosty winter in full swing, we have tips for vehicle maintenance to
help you out before you are stuck in a winter storm.
Under the Hood
Your battery
suffers more wear and tear than you might think throughout the winter. As
temperatures drop, your vehicle needs more power, longer for the starter motor
to work and the engine to turn over.
Visit our service center where our technicians can check your battery as
well as the various electronics systems in place, like traction control to keep
you safe this winter. In addition, you'll probably have your windshield wiper
fluid checked, since a combination of road salt and ice can make visibility
impossible.
Snow Tires
Many Hyundai's,
including the Santa Fe, Kona, and Tucson, come with all-wheel drive that puts
power to the wheels that have the most traction. We cannot emphasize enough how
helpful all-wheel drive is, but when coupled with snow tires, your vehicle is
ready to take on the winter roads.
Three-season
tires, often called "all-season tires", simply do not have the right treads or
studs to continue to make contact with the road when there is snow or black
ice. Consider getting a set of winter tires on steel wheels if you have not
done so already, reach out to a service technician for more information on
snow tires.
Just in Case
We know anyone
who has lived here long enough has their own ways to prepare for winter
driving. These are just some suggestions that we often use to keep ourselves
ready:
1)
Pack
apple cider vinegar and hand sanitizer - apple cider vinegar has several health
benefits, but in terms of your vehicle, it's a great solution to apply to
windshields and windows if you know that a storm is coming. It helps limit
frost build-up. Hand sanitizer is also an easy way to de-ice locks without
having to buy anything special and fits in a glovebox or purse.
2)
Weigh
down your trunk or cargo area with supplies - extra blankets, including metal
emergency blankets can help you survive if your car will not turn back on and
you are on the side of the road. Add a bag of sand or kitty litter and a shovel
so that you can dig out of any small embankments if you happen to go off the
road at any point.
Schedule Your Winter Service Appointment Today
If you haven't
had the chance to already, be sure to make time for a top-off of fluids and
multi-point inspection from the experienced staff at the Fernelius Hyundai
service department. Contact us to get started, we're happy to help make sure
your car or SUV is ready for wintry roads and more.