CLEVELAND — With the arrival of winter weather, it’s important to make sure your car is up for the challenge to ensure the safety of yourself and others.
One mechanic told News 5 while many people are still working from home and cutting back on the commute, it’s still important as ever to run through a winter checklist to prevent expensive repairs.
“We know we are going to be busy probably after tonight,” Joey the mechanic told News 5.
When winter weather rolls in, road visibility decreases, and coming to an abrupt stop behind the wheel is more difficult.
“We do help a lot of people out in ditches, accidents, wrecks,” Joey said. “When November comes, you’ve got to winterize your car. You’ve got to make sure you check your battery, your tires, your coolant. Your windshield wiper blades are important.”
He said some of the most costly vehicle repairs stem from a lack of planning and unforeseen issues under the hood.
“Everything's going to be invisible. You’ve just got to do a routine winterizing,” Joey said. “You don’t want to get into an accident or you were late for work because your car doesn't want to start all just over a simple thing like your battery or the starter-alternator.”
Joey suggested waking up slightly earlier to go outside and start your car 10 to 15 minutes before you plan on leaving home.
“You want to let your car warm up a little bit,” Joey said.
Mechanics also suggest checking things you may not notice while driving your own vehicle like a faulty tail light or license plate bulb.
“Make sure your headlights are working. Your turn signals are working,” Joey said. “You know, that’s something very important right now, especially with the visibility hazards.”
He added that low air pressure in tires is one of the leading causes of winter accidents on the road and suggested checking tire pressure once a week.
