With fall in full gear and winter approaching, it’s time to consider what to do to prepare your car for icy conditions that will come soon to Bremerton. Are you prepared for ice on the roads? Here’s some suggestions for getting you and your car winter-ready again:
Take advantage of traffic weather updates
Take advantage of the resources at your disposal before you hit the road… website LocalConditions.com has live updates on Bremerton traffic that you can peruse before you leave the house. And obviously driving applications like GoogleMaps and Waze can steer you to new routes if traffic is bad or road conditions might be a problem on your trip.
If you have an older Kindle or tablet in the home, it’s not a bad idea to keep it charged (preferably near the door you leave the house with) as a way to remind you to check before you leave. You can make it a habit to always look at the route you are taking before you to prepare for while still in the safety of your own home. (The best disaster is the one you miss altogether, after all.)
If the routine doesn’t stick at first, you can add a winter keychain item as a reminder-- something like an ice cube-- that can attach to your keys for the season. Whenever you pick up your keys and see the winter keychain, you’ll remember to check the MoDOT website on the spare tablet before leaving the house to get a better idea of what you’ll face on your trip.
Build an emergency kit
If you get in an accident or have a breakdown, your frustration at being stuck on the road will be considerably less if you have properly prepared an emergency kit. AMong the items it should have are a tire inflator, a first-aid kit, jumper cables, a small toolbox, a flashlight, some nonperishable foods, and bottled waters.
Get your car serviced
Auto mechanics will always tell you: the best maintenance is preventative maintenance, just like the best accident is the one you avoided. Add dangerous, potentially lethal weather to the usual issues in your car, and mundane problems can be the difference between getting home safely and never making it home.
Get your car inspected and checked out for trouble spots that can make breakdowns more likely. If you haven’t had an oil filter changed in a while, take care or it. Make certain your tires are in good working order, with good treads and no damage or punctures, and that they are properly inflated. Get the brakes, lights, battery, belts, and hoses all checked out. If it’s been awhile, top up your fluid levels, too.
The emergency kit, the checking of the MoDOT website, and the floor mats are things you can easily accomplish yourself, and can even be fun family projects. For the actual maintenance on your car, bring it into Complete Auto for service and let us make sure your car has the attention it needs to get you and your family safely through the coming winter!
If you need some help getting your car ready for winter, come to LK’s Auto Repair for your next service. We can be found at 5921 St Hwy 303 NE #100 Bremerton, WA 98311. Click this link to schedule service with us, or call us at 360-525-1118. To know us is to love us. So, please, let us get to know you, and your car!