Maintain Your Car During Fall or Risk Car Trouble During Winter

JACKSON, Mich. –– No one likes spending time on a Saturday getting an oil change or other auto service taken care of for their vehicle, but the reality is you need to maintain your car during fall or risk car trouble during winter. As the autumn foliage spreads vibrant colors across the state, make sure you cover these routine maintenance needs so your vehicle is set for the remainder of the season.

1. Don’t drive with dangerous brakes. It’s extremely dangerous to drive a vehicle whose brakes haven’t been inspected or replaced for a long time. Fall is the perfect season to have your brakes replaced so that your vehicle is prepared to stop on a dime when the roads ice over. If you’re hearing screeching, grinding, or having trouble stopping when you brake, stop by the Seymour Ford Lincoln Service Center to have a technician inspect your brakes using a Motorcraft Multi-Point Inspection Report Card.


2. Take time to check your tire treads. Good brake performance is futile when your tires aren’t in good shape. If they look bald and tread-bare, or you feel your vehicle slipping on slick roads papered with dead leaves after a heavy rain this autumn, let the ASE Certified Technicians at our Blue Oval Certified Service Department provide you with the highest quality tires for all makes and models. Learn more here.


3. Beware of a bad battery. You might assume you’re set for fall because your vehicle is still running, but when the temperatures plummet and your vehicle won’t go, you can bet it’s due to a bad battery. Avoid the hassle of breaking down on a blustery autumn day and flagging someone down for a jump. Look under your hood and see if there’s any corrosion around the battery terminals. If there is, chances are you should head over to our service center to purchase a new battery.


4. Consider your engine’s cooling system. Right now you might not feel the need to use your heating vents; you can still drive around with the windows down on some days. But that doesn’t mean your engine will be ready for impending chilly days. Autumn is a transition period in which you should make sure your engine cooling system is working on coolant under 24,000 miles of usage. Coolant keeps your vehicle from overheating, but also your radiator fluid from freezing. It also provides heat through your vents and prevents you from getting frostbite on your morning commute when its below freezing. Our service staff can inspect your cooling system for you to make sure it’s prepared for cold days in the later weeks of autumn.


5. Whisk it all away with new wiper blades. Sure, April showers bring May flowers, but rainy fall days are a thing, too. Leaves, pine needles, dust, acorns, and a slew of other things that fall in fall are about to clog up the area above your hood where your wiper blades rest. All of that autumn junk plus a deluge are sure to make driving a hazy situation if your wiper blades aren’t up for the job. Other factors to consider are frost in the morning, and even a potential light snowfall as we near winter. Make sure you can see the fall colors when you’re driving this fall and get a new set of wiper blades.

Follow our advice and take time to maintain your car during fall or risk trouble during winter. At our Ford dealer near Mason, MI, we can handle all of your fall car care. Seymour Ford Lincoln is located at 2601 Seymour Road in Jackson, Michigan 49201. We will work hard to ensure you never leave our dealership unsatisfied! Visit us at at SeymourFord.com and SeymourLincoln.net or give us a call at (517) 787-9500.

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