How To Prepare Your Vehicle For Winter

We know, it’s just September. But Winter IS coming!

As the winter months approach, ensuring your car is ready to handle harsh weather conditions is crucial for safety and performance. Winter driving can present unique challenges, from icy roads to frigid temperatures, making proper preparation essential. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to prepare your car for winter.

## 1. Check Your Battery
Cold temperatures can reduce your battery’s effectiveness, leading to potential failure. Before winter sets in, have your battery tested to ensure it can hold a charge. Look for signs of corrosion on the terminals and clean them if necessary. If your battery is more than three years old, consider replacing it to avoid unforeseen breakdowns.

## 2. Inspect Your Tires
Tires are your car’s only contact with the road, making them critical for winter safety. Check your tire tread depth to ensure adequate traction. A depth of at least 1/8 inch is recommended for winter driving. If your region typically sees heavy snow or ice, consider switching to winter tires, which are designed to provide better grip in cold conditions.

## 3. Change Your Oil
The right oil is essential for winter engine performance. Check your vehicle’s owner manual for the recommended oil viscosity for cold temperatures. Switching to a thinner oil in winter can help your engine start more easily and operate more efficiently.

## 4. Test Your Wipers and Fluid
Visibility is key during winter driving. Inspect your windshield wipers for any wear and replace them if they’re not functioning correctly. Use winter-grade wiper fluid that won’t freeze in cold temperatures, ensuring you can keep your windshield clear of snow and ice.

## 5. Prepare Your Cooling System
Even in winter, your engine can overheat if the cooling system isn’t functioning properly. Ensure that your coolant levels are sufficient, and the coolant is in good condition. A 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water is recommended to protect against freezing.

## 6. Check the Brakes
Brakes are vital for safe winter driving. Have your braking system inspected for wear and tear. Ensure that brake pads, rotors, and fluid are in good condition. This will give you confidence in your vehicle’s stopping ability, especially on slippery surfaces.

## 7. Update Your Emergency Kit
An emergency kit can make a significant difference if you get stranded during winter storms. Essentials to include are:
– Blankets
– A flashlight with extra batteries
– Non-perishable snacks and water
– A first aid kit
– Jumper cables
– A shovel and sand or kitty litter for traction
– A snow brush and ice scraper

## 8. Clean Your Fuel System
Keeping your gas tank at least half full helps prevent fuel line freeze-ups. Additionally, consider using a fuel system cleaner to keep your fuel lines clear of gunk and prevent winter-related issues.

## 9. Inspect Lights and Signals
Longer nights and overcast days mean your headlights and taillights are more critical than ever. Check all lights to ensure they are functioning properly, and replace any burned-out bulbs. This will enhance your visibility and help other drivers see you.

## 10. Consider a Professional Winter Check-Up
If you’re unsure about performing these checks yourself, consider scheduling a winter maintenance appointment at your local auto repair shop. Professionals can provide a thorough inspection and address any specific concerns you may have.

Preparing your car for winter doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By taking these proactive steps, you can increase your vehicle’s performance, ensure your safety, and make your winter driving experience much more enjoyable. Don’t wait until the first snowfall—start your winter preparations today! And it’s always a good idea to swing by our shop and have your vehicle checked out before the cold weather comes and the snow starts flying!

We Want To Pump You Up!

As prices at the pump continue to rise, year after year, it’s no wonder many of us wait until our tanks run low before gassing up. It’s painful to watch the ticker on that gas pump climb and climb. But delaying the inevitable might save you some anxiety in the short run, but it could cost you a lot more later!

The gasoline in your vehicle circulates through your fuel system and if it doesn’t stay clean your vehicle will suffer.

There are several reasons not to let your gas tank run low.

> Your vehicle distributes gas to the engine via a fuel pump. Fuel pumps are designed to have a constant flow of gasoline running through them to avoid having them overheat and fail. Keeping a sufficient amount of fuel in your tank at all times can prevent this.

> Thanks to gravity, the sediment that collects in your fuel tank over time naturally descends to the bottom of the tank. That’s a good thing. But when your fuel runs low, your fuel pump will start sucking some of that sediment, along with fuel into your carburetor and ultimately into your engine which can cause your vehicle to run less efficiently and ultimately break down. Keeping fuel in the tank prevents the pump from drawing out that sediment.

> When your fuel tank is full, there’s no room for anything else to collect. When it’s not full, that empty space attracts moisture in the form of condensation, which ultimately will cause your tank to corrode. All that corrosive material can get into your fuel and damage your vehicle. This is especially true during higher humidity periods like winter.

> The less fuel in your tank, the more air the fuel pump will be pushing into your engine, which can contribute to the engine overheating. Engines like fuel. They’re not so big on air!

> And if all else fails, keeping your vehicle well fueled is a good safety measure. You never know when you’re going to find yourself on the road with no access to a gas station. Having plenty of gas on hand means never having to run out right when you need it! Even if you don’t plan on any long road trips any time soon, you never know when a ‘situation’ might arise that forces your local gas stations to shut down unexpectedly and not be able to provide fuel. You don’t want to be one of those unlucky few, scavenger hunting around town for a gas station that’s open!

At the end of the day, we all know the next fill up is inevitable. Rather than wait and cause yourself unwanted repair costs and unnecessary inconvenience, always keep at least a half a tank of fuel in your tank at all times!

Engine Oil: A Slippery Subject

It’s a slippery subject, so to speak – Engine oil.

There are many different types of engine oils out there, so what’s the right type of oil for your vehicle?

When we discuss engine oils, first let’s break them into two main categories; regular and synthetic.

Regular engine oil basically comes from crude oil. It can break down and become less effective, quicker, especially under extreme temperatures or heavy loads.

Synthetic oil, on the other hand is a chemically produced lubricant that is made from combining base oils with additives.  This means it has a more stable, uniform and controlled molecular structure. What this means in terms of performance is that synthetic oil will maintain a more consistent viscosity and offer better resistance to oxidization and thermal breakdown (breakdown under heat).

Overall, synthetic oil is better for your engine than regular oil. It will help reduce engine deposits, perform better under tougher conditions and last longer, which means longer periods between oil changes!

On the flipside, synthetic oil is generally more expensive than engine oil and often isn’t necessary on older vehicles.

So, you’ve decided which ‘type’ of oil you’re going to put in your vehicle but now you have to figure out which grade of oil. 10w30, 5w30, 10w40… what do all these numbers mean, anyway??

Basically, it all comes down to viscosity, or the ‘thickness’ or ‘thinness’ of the oil. Thicker oils have a higher viscosity, thinner oils have a lower viscosity.

So, take 10w30 oil, for example.

The ‘W’ stands for winter and signifies how the oil will behave in cold temperatures, specifically at startup. The number before the ‘W’ is the oil’s low temperature viscosity; in other words, how thick or thin the oil is when cold.

The number after the ‘W’ is the oil’s viscosity at normal operating temperature. A higher number means better protection at higher temperatures.

For example, a 5W-30 oil, at low temperatures flows better than a 10W oil. And the “30” indicates how it flows once at normal operating temperatures (thicker than a 5W-20 oil).

At the end of the day, it’s always a good idea to check the manufacturer’s recommended oil for your vehicle, and when you swing by our Big O Tires shop for an oil change, we can help you determine that too. We can answer all those slippery oil questions, so come see us!

Keepin’ It Cool

Those hot summer days can leave you dehydrated! Nothing’s better on a steamy, hot summer’s day than a cool drink to refresh and replenish. And that’s where you and your vehicle have a lot in common! Your vehicle feels the heat just like you do!

Maintaining your vehicle coolant is essential to keeping your vehicle running right when the mercury rises.

Often the terms “coolant” and “antifreeze” are used interchangeably. But there is a difference between the two. Coolant combines water and glycol – typically ethylene glycol – while antifreeze is pure glycol. Antifreeze doesn’t freeze or boil as easily as water, so it’s often used for engines that run at higher temperatures.

Coolant, on the other hand, lowers the freezing point and raises the water’s boiling point, making it ideal for use in car engines. Coolant also contains rust and corrosion inhibitors to help protect your engine from rust and corrosion.

Put simply, coolant circulates through the engine and radiator, absorbing heat from the engine and dissipating it into the air. This helps keeps the engine at a constant temperature. But over time, coolant can break down, making it less effective. That’s when it’s time to replace that old coolant!

Especially in summer, coolant levels should be checked monthly. If your coolant is low top it up. Always remember NEVER to undo the radiator cap when the engine is hot! Always leave your vehicle sitting a while to cool down before removing a coolant cap. Star by removing the radiator cap and adding coolant to the system until it is full. You can use a 50/50 mix of water and coolant unless the owner’s manual states otherwise. Next, start the engine and let it throttle for a few minutes. This way, the coolant will circulate and reach all engine components. Finally, be sure to replace the radiator cap before driving the vehicle.

It’s important to make sure you use the right mix of coolant to keep your engine running smoothly. Never rely on just water alone as a coolant, as water will create rust and calcium deposits that will damage your radiator and engine!

If it’s been a while since you’ve had your coolant replaced bring your vehicle into us at Big O Tires in North Vancouver. We’ll check your coolant and can do a radiator flush for you, if needed! A ‘cool’ tip to keep you and your vehicle running smoothly this summer!

The Wheel Deal – Front, rear, all-wheel, 4-wheel…

Not all vehicles are built the same. You already knew that. And not all vehicles perform the same. You already knew that too. But do you know why some vehicles are rear-wheel drive, some are front-wheel drive and some are all-wheel drive? And do you know which is better than which?

Ok, well that’s a bit of a trick question as technically, neither is better than either of the others. They all serve a purpose.

What’s the difference?

Put simply, in a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the rear wheels are powered by the engine. In a front-wheel drive the front wheels are powered by the engine and in an all-wheel-drive vehicle all four wheels get power from the engine.

Interestingly, the world’s first car, the 1769 Cugnot Le Fardier was front-wheel driven!

In a perfect world, the most efficient configuration for powering a vehicle is to have the power source (the engine) as close to the axle as possible. So rear-engine, RWD vehicles or front-engine, FWD vehicles on paper are the most efficient drive types.

With that said there are many reasons for why some vehicles are front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive.

Pros and Cons

For cabin space, front wheel drive vehicles eliminate a lot of the space taken up by drive shafts and transmissions of RWD’s. That means more space inside for drivers and passengers.

For traction, especially on acceleration, AWD provides an advantage as AWD’s maximize the vehicle’s weight across all four wheels. The downside of this is that braking is often worse in an AWD due to added mass and inertia. With that said, braking traction in FWD often leads to understeer while the opposite is true for RWD.

There are many pros and cons for each of these drive types.

FWD – Front wheel drive

PROS

a Cost efficient, decent fuel consumption, better traction

CONS

r Front tires can wear out quicker, front weight bias means weaker handling responsiveness

RWD – Rear wheel drive

PROS

a Allowing front tires to specialize in steering while rear tires focus on driving, steering, especially cornering is improved. Accelerative traction is better.

CONS

r Reduced poor weather traction vs AWD and FWD. More tendency for oversteer.

AWD – All wheel drive

PROS

a Better traction in all conditions, especially accelerating through turns.

CONS

r Reduced efficiency due to added weight, inertia, etc.

At the end of the day, the type of drive you choose will depend largely on the type of driving you do. The good news is, whatever type of vehicle you drive, AWD, FWD or RWD, we service and repair them all at Big O Tires in North Vancouver! We look forward to servicing your vehicle.

Air vs Nitrogen

In the old days, tires were all inflated the same way; with regular air through the use of a simple air compressor. Today, there is an alternative to air-filled tires, and that’s nitrogen. And while nitrogen has been available for use to fill tires for many years now, most people still scratch their heads wondering why we use nitrogen vs air and what the benefits are.

Nitrogen is a naturally occurring gas and makes up about 78% of the earth’s atmosphere. In fact, human beings couldn’t exist without nitrogen. It’s also non-flammable, which makes it safe to use.

Ok, now we’re sounding like a chemistry text book and about now you’re saying to yourself, “That’s all great but what’s all that got to do with tires?”

Nitrogen molecules are larger than normal air molecules, and that’s where tires come in. Tires naturally leak over time as air escapes their rubber walls, usually at a loss of about 1 psi per month. Because nitrogen molecules are larger than regular air molecules, nitrogen seeps out at a much slower rate, allowing tires to maintain their pressures longer.

Regular air is also subject to changes in pressure due to rising and falling temperature, which nitrogen isn’t. That means that nitrogen maintains its pressure despite warming and cooling tires.

The end result is a tire with a more stable, longer-lasting tire pressure. The results of that are better fuel efficiency, better over-all performance and handling and longer tire life.

But one question we often get is, “Can you add regular air to tires filled with nitrogen?”. The answer is, yes!

Air and nitrogen mix fine. However, when you add air to tires filled with nitrogen, you’ll be diluting the benefits of the nitrogen in your tires.

So, there you have it. Now you know all you need to know about nitrogen-filled tires. If you have more tire or auto-related questions, don’t hesitate to give our expert team at Big O Tires in North Vancouver a call!