Winter Auto Maintenance Tips

December 20, 2018

Imagine this: You and your family are midway through the long drive to grandma’s house for Christmas dinner and you feel the car suddenly lose power. As you frantically search listings for emergency car services, your plans to relax around a cozy fire fade away. Instead, you’ll be stuck on the side of the road waiting for help and delaying your holiday celebrations.

Car trouble is a hassle at any time of the year, but problems often pop up in the winter months as temperatures drop and road conditions deteriorate. With this in mind, it’s important to give your car some TLC and invest in routine maintenance to prevent larger problems with help from an auto repair shop in Hanford, CA. Here are some ways to test your heating system before you make it work too hard:

  • Test the heating airflow: To make sure the air is flowing properly, park your car in an open area and turn the air speed and temperature on high. Check that air is flowing through all the vents as you test out each cycle. If your car doesn’t heat up fairly quickly, you may have a problem with coolant levels.
  • Test the air conditioner: It might seem odd to test a cooling system in the winter, but the air conditioner plays an important role in defogging your windows and helping you to see better in cool temperatures. Make sure the defogger works quickly. If it doesn’t, you can check to see if the cooling system has a leak.
  • Watch out for debris: Even if your heater works, you could still have a problem if the blower motor emits a loud sound. Sometimes the outside world finds its way into the heater box, and things like leaves, sticks, bugs or nests will block airflow. You can clean out the heat box by opening up the access panel.
  • Check the coolant: Changing the coolant or adding more when it’s low is important to keep the system functioning properly. If, however, you’re surprised by how little coolant is left, you might have a larger problem, such as a leak, that requires a mechanic’s diagnostic skills.

Though you can perform some of the preventative maintenance above yourself, making an appointment with a trusted mechanic in Hanford, CA will ensure your car is in top condition for the winter—and save your valuable time. If your car is in need of a quick tune-up before temperatures drop, look no further than AAA Sandoval Transmission. For more than three decades, our shop has been a top-rated area mechanic. In fact, we have received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau because of our quality services.

Though we specialize in transmission repair, AAA Sandoval Transmission offers much more than help with transmissions. We also perform general checkups and tune-ups, repair engines and provide specialized car services. Whatever your car needs may be, AAA Sandoval Transmission can help! Give us a call today to learn more about how we can make sure your car is ready for the winter weather.

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