Winterizing Your Vehicle in South Michigan

Winter presents special challenges to drivers. In addition to driving on snow and ice, your car’s systems must be up to the task of dealing with cold temperatures. We have some tips that will help ensure your vehicle will run properly during the winter season. Call the Brookfield CDJR Service Department if you have any questions regarding how to winterize your vehicle.

Service Your Car for Winter Weather
It’s not too late to winterize your vehicle in South Michigan. Bring your car to the Brookfield CDJR Service Center. Our certified service technicians can provide you with the following services:

• Inspect the battery. Your battery loses power as the weather gets colder. You’ve probably noticed that it’s more difficult to start your car in the winter. Our service technicians can check your battery and install a new one at or above 600 CCA, if necessary. It can prevent you from getting stranded in the cold with a dead battery.
•  Check the cooling system. We can check your cooling system to make sure you have the proper levels, type and mix of antifreeze for your vehicle.
•  Inspect the brakes. Cold weather won’t damage your brakes, but you’ll need your brakes to be in perfect working condition to stop on roads covered in ice and show. We’ll provide you with a comprehensive brake inspection.
•  Check belts, hoses, spark plugs, wires and cables. While we’re inspecting your car’s other systems, we can check these components to make sure they’re in good condition. This will help prevent a breakdown in the cold.

Install Winter Tires
Switch to winter tires for the best performance in the cold weather we experience here in South Michigan. Cold temperatures harden the rubber compounds in standard tires, reducing traction. Winter tires are specially formulated to prevent hardening, affording the grip you’ll need to drive on ice and snow.

Check Tire Air Pressure
Check your tire air pressure regularly in the winter. Tires lose air pressure when the temperature drops.

Switch to Winter Wipers
Winter windshield wipers prevent ice from building up on the wiper blades. If you use winter wipers replace them with regular wipers in the spring to avoid placing a load on the wiper motor.

Check Washer Fluid
Fill your wiper fluid reservoir with fluid designed for winter weather and check the levels frequently.

Check the Rear Defroster
Making sure your rear defroster is working correctly will ensure you can see out the rear window. If you discover a problem, bring your car to the Brookfield CDJR Service Center. We’ll repair the defroster quickly to get your vehicle back on the road safely.

Keep the Gas Tank at Least Half Full
There are two reasons to make sure your gas tank doesn’t get near empty. First, a full tank reduces condensation, which will keep the gas line from freezing. And if your car breaks down in the cold, you’ll need fuel to run the heater to stay warm until assistance arrives.

The certified service technicians at Brookfield CDJR are experts at winterization. We’re located at 1845 Pipestone Road in Benton Harbor, conveniently located right off I-94.