Maintenance

GETTING YOUR VEHICLE READY FOR WINTER

When the weather starts to turn cold and Old Man Winter starts to rear his ugly head, winterizing your vehicle is an important step in vehicle ownership (especially in Saskatchewan!) When the cold temperatures arrive, snow and ice are not far behind, meaning dangerous driving conditions are present also.

Now that it is beginning to near the wrong side of the 0 on the thermometer, it is a good time to review the condition of your vehicle and get it ready for the long winter ahead. This is something that should be done sooner than later, because once the snow flies it is going to be hard to build up the energy and courage to go and do it in the freezing temperatures. Another reason why we recommend winterizing your vehicle early is to prevent unnecessary damage caused by the cold where plastic breaks very easily, especially if you are trying to get a good cleaning in.

Below are the steps we recommend reviewing before the snow flies:

Detail the Interior

Cold and cleaning do not mix. Whether it’s a tough stain you’ve been waiting to tackle caused by the kids, or just trying to get rid of the dust that accumulates, we find it’s much preferrable to take care of these before the freezing temperatures hit. Stains will be harder to move, and fingers are not as flexible when you’re trying to get to those hard to reach places. Remember to clean out your trunk and add in any winter safety items you might need (below).

Stock up

Here are some recommended items to keep in your vehicle in case you find yourself stuck for an extended period:

• Food that won’t go bad, like energy bars, which will keep you going in case you’re stuck for an extended period.
• Plastic Water Bottles that won’t break.
• Blanket(s)
• Gloves
• Extra clothing
• First Aid Kit
• Small shovel, scraper, and snowbrush
• Candle in a deep can and matches
• Wind-up flashlight
• Whistle (to attract attention)
• Sand, salt, or cat litter (to assist in getting you out if you find yourself stuck)
• Antifreeze and Washer fluid
• Tow Rope
• Jumper Cables
• Fire Extinguisher
• Warning lights or road flares

Give Your Car a Check-up

If you have an existing problem you have been holding off having checked out, you should have it assessed sooner than later. Cold weather not only creates problems that do not exist during the winter months, but it can also make existing problems worse and more expensive to repair. If you don’t think you have any mechanical issues that need to be taken care of, it’s still a good idea to go over a couple of other areas to make sure you’re not left in an unfortunate situation.
Your car battery works harder in the winter due to the increased accessories used (defrost, heat, wipers, heated seats etc.) and this causes additional strain on the battery on top of the colder weather hurting its performance. You’ll also want to make sure your heat is blowing hot, your tires are inflated correctly, your rear window defrost is working, and if you have 4x4 you’ll want to make sure it’s operational before the time comes when you need it.

Check your lights

We all know the long winter brings shorter days, meaning the lights in your vehicle need to work more than ever. Take a minute to do a walk-around of your vehicle to ensure your headlights, taillights, reverse lights, signal lights and hazard lights are all in working order. If you get stuck on the side of the road or hit the ditch, you need passers-by to be able to see you!

Can you see?

If you have a small chip or crack you’ve been waiting to get fixed, don’t! As with almost everything else, cold makes things easier to damage, and your windshield follows this rule. A tiny chip or crack in the summer can result it a very severely cracked windshield in the winter that will need to be replaced. The first time you go to scrape your windshield and apply pressure on an already damaged windshield, it is very likely it will crack much worse and you will need to replace the entire windshield at a much higher cost than had you had that crack filled earlier. Don’t procrastinate! And while you are inspecting your windshield, we’d recommend taking a peek at the condition of your windshield wipers as well and replacing them if necessary. Lastly, remember to switch your windshield washer fluid with one that will suit the upcoming weather and is labelled for -30 or -40 degrees Celsius.

Consider Snow Tires

Many people today believe living in Saskatchewan means a 4x4 or All-Wheel Drive vehicle is a necessity. Although they are great vehicles that offer this convenience, they are not everyone’s ideal vehicle. There is a cheaper alternative that will still make you a lot safer on the winter roads, and those are snow tires. These are tires that are made with different tread patterns and different rubber to ensure you have a better grip while driving and come to a stop when you want to stop. They also come with the option of being studded if you need a little extra control with the added incentive of more peace of mind as well. You might think “I already have good tires, why would I need another set?” but once you’ve experienced winter driving on winter tires, you’ll understand and experience a whole new level of peace of mind and will trust your vehicle much more.

Using the steps above as a guideline will make you more confident about travelling this winter in your vehicle. Not only that, but it will make you and your loved ones safer as well, whether that’s because you equipped snow tires and were able to stop those few feet shorter, or because you hit the ditch but had adequate supplies to wait for the tow truck, or even that you saved a few bucks because you didn’t wait to get that windshield fixed, we are sure you’ll be happy you took the time to prepare in advance.

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A lot of people claim that today’s vehicles have “planned obsolescence”, and that they “aren’t made like they used to be”, however this isn’t actually the case. The vehicles that are being manufactured today often surpass 300000 kilometers just by keeping up with the recommended maintenance schedule. This does not mean you will never have to repair anything, but it does mean that these vehicles didn’t have anything catastrophic happen that resulted in the vehicle repair costing more than it would be worth. While there is always risk with buying a vehicle that you can never fully eliminate, there are some easy things to look for that will help keep your maintenance costs low after you have decided to purchase.

• Single Exhaust – In the event you’ve driven your car long enough that your exhaust system needs to be replaced, it can often times be less than half the price to replace a single exhaust vs. a dual exhaust setup. Most of the newer vehicles have stainless steel systems which last a considerable amount of time, but when the time comes to replace it, it can be surprisingly expensive.
• Timing Chain – A timing belt is something that must be replaced when the manufacturer recommends it (usually between 96000 and 160000 kilometers) or it will lead to a much more costly issue down the road when the belt inevitably fails, and takes your engine out with it. For this reason, many newer vehicles come with a “Timing Chain” instead of a “Timing Belt”, which is designed to last the length of the engine’s life. The timing chain is a strong steel chain, instead of a soft rubber belt that breaks down over time. If you purchase a vehicle with a timing belt, prepare to spend over $1000 to get it replaced when the time comes. It is an internal part in the engine, so the labour prices can be extremely high depending on your make and model. This doesn’t need to be a deal breaker if the vehicle you love comes with a Timing Belt, it just means you should check the manufacturers recommended maintenance for the belt, and change it at the appropriate time, just remember it will be pricey so plan ahead.
• Solid Rear Axle – This is also recognized as the “beam axle”. If you’re just using the vehicle as a daily driver, you are not sacrificing much by choosing this setup over the more complicated independent rear suspension. With fewer (and frequently cheaper) parts, combined with its simple design, the solid rear axle also never needs to be aligned.
• Regular Gas – Performance cars cost more to purchase initially, but they also cost more to maintain. Many performance engines require 91 or 93 octane fuel, which comes with a much higher price than standard 87 or 89 octane gas. The extra cost per litre can add up much quicker than anticipated depending on your driving habits. You also can’t use regular octane gas in a vehicle that requires higher octane. You will be sacrificing the performance you already paid the money to get, and potentially risking damaging your engine by using a lower quality fuel than it was designed to use.
• Two-Wheel Drive – Some people need a vehicle that has four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Most do not though. Living in Saskatchewan, where it gets slippery and snowy for a majority of the year, many people feel as though an AWD/4WD vehicle is an essential part of living here. That is simply not the case. If you ask yourself how many times you needed to put your vehicle in 4WD throughout an entire winter, the number is actually quite low, maybe even zero, but we understand it offers peace of mind, and sometimes you can’t put a price on that. When considering one of these purchases, ask yourself about the return on the investment. Is this worth potentially $5000+ to have as a part of my vehicle? What options might I be sacrificing in order to get this one? 4WD/AWD vehicles cost considerably more than their two-wheel drive counterparts up front, and do not cost near as much in maintenance as it would if you needed a repair on the 4WD/AWD system. They have much more complex electrical and mechanical systems in order to work properly, so a much higher chance of something going wrong down the road, meaning higher out-of-pocket expenses if that time comes.
• Non-Boosted Engines – Engines with turbo and superchargers. These are becoming much more common nowadays because it allows manufacturers to keep their engine size down, as well as the fuel usage on the vehicle, while being able to offer the performance of something more. Just be aware that this is one more part that could potentially cost a lot down the road if you need to repair or replace it.
• Documentation – Keeping receipts is essential to vehicle ownership. You should make sure to keep a record of the repairs and service your vehicle has received to make sure any warranty your vehicle might have is not voided due to negligence. This will also help you if you end up trying to sell the vehicle. It’s much easier to build value in a vehicle you can prove was taken care of well, never missed an oil change, and had its regularly scheduled maintenance. To a prospective buyer, this information being available could change the value by thousands!

These are just some things to keep in mind when looking at purchasing a new vehicle. It is a stressful time, and we want to help eliminate as much of that as we can by offering you some of the tips and tricks we’ve learned after more than a decade in the industry.

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