For the majority of the year, driving conditions are pretty tepid. But the true test of your integrity as a car owner, and the quality of your car comes during the winter months. This is when you can truly get punished for not taking care of your car unless you take care of the necessary winter car prep. Between harsh winter weather and the toll the cold, ice, snow, and salt can take, you really have to step up your winter car care game to get your vehicle winter ready. 

Winter Car Care Checklist

We don’t want to see you or your car on the side of the road this winter season. The best way to avoid any issues is to make sure your car is ready to take on whatever the next few months have in store. So before things get really rough, here are 5 simple winter car care tips that will help you and your car be ready for the colder months ahead. 

Juice Up Your Battery

Having to wait for a jump in the middle of the cold and possibly snow is up there with the worst things to happen in winter. If you don’t check your battery before the cold weather sets in, you’re really taking a gamble. The extreme cold that we tend to see can make it difficult for your battery to operate. And the last thing you want is to come back to your car left in a cold parking lot and find it dead leaving you with no heat. The best advice you’ll get today is to get a volt test on your battery now. This will tell you what the health of your battery looks like and whether or not you should invest in a new battery. 

Maintain Your Tires

When it comes to driving in winter, the quality of your tires is paramount. But it’s not just about what kind of tires you have but keeping an eye on your tire pressure as well. Investing in winter tires or all-season tires is a great idea and one we highly recommend. You want something that you can rely on for snow, rain, mud, and anything else you may encounter this year. However, something that gets overlooked often is tire pressure. As the air gets colder, tire pressure can drop up to one pound per square inch with every 10-degree drop. Keep an eye on your tire pressure and make sure you fill them if they are looking low. 

Check Your Fluids

Every fluid in your car is going to help it perform the best it can during the colder months. For this reason, it’s very important that all of your fluid levels are good and fresh. Change your oil and filters if it’s coming near time, flush and refill your coolant/antifreeze, and fill your windshield wiper fluid. Doing all of these now will ensure that your car works the way it should even when temperatures drop. 

Wash Your Car

This may seem like a weird thing to do, but it’s surprisingly important. However, this is something that you should do throughout the winter months. As more snow hits the roads, the county will salt those roads in an effort to keep them as clear as possible. But that salt will also end up on your car, especially all over your undercarriage. While the salt really helps the roads, it can wreak havoc on your car and cause rust. That is unless you give it a good wash after a big snow. Both an automatic and manual wash will work, as long as you can hit your undercarriage well. 

Pack an Emergency Kit

Everything is all fun and games until your car dies in the middle of a snowstorm. Whether you slid on ice or something happened with your engine, or maybe even ran out of gas, having an emergency kit may just save your life. Depending on the weather and where you are, you definitely need to be prepared for anything. Here are some things you should have packed: 

• First-aid kit
• Jumper cables
• Snow brush and ice scraper
• Flares
• Multi-tool with a knife
• Portable charger
• Air pump
• Shovel
• Cat litter or sand
• Candle and lighter
• Thermal blanket
• Snacks and water

Stay Safe Out There

Winter can be a crazy time, but making your vehicle winter ready ahead of time can go a long way. These are just a couple of things you can do, but there’s always more. Do your research and talk with our fantastic service technicians about what you should have done before the colder months are on top of us. Be smart and stay safe this holiday season!

Do you try everything to avoid parking on the street whenever you drive into Columbia? Trying to find open parking lots and affordable garages can be tricky, which leaves street parking the cheapest and easiest option. This tends to be the case in most big cities.

As a Columbia resident, you know that parking downtown can be hard to come by, especially on weekends. With street parking as one of only a few options available to you, it's simply an unavoidable part of your life behind the wheel. So, if you have to park on the street, you may as well stay safe doing it. Below are some basic things every Midlands Honda Driver can do to ensure the safety of their vehicle when parking on the street.

The Ins and Outs of Street Parking in Columbia

Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of street parking, how comfortable are you with parallel parking? More importantly, can you parallel park? Because if the answer to either of these questions is no, you may want to just pony up the twenty-or-so bucks required to gain access to an oversaturated parking garage. However, if you have the mettle to take on the tall task of parallel parking on a busy city street, keep reading.

Quick Tips to Park Safe on the Street

• Read the street signs: A common joke among big-city drivers, street signs are something that should be simple to interpret but, oftentimes, are not. With differing messages, time restraints, and symbols all coexisting on the same small rectangular sign, parking legally on the street can require some focus and mental fortitude. Take your time, read the signs and ensure that you won't be returning to a freshly booted vehicle.
• Park under street lights, not tree branches: If possible, it's always a good idea to park your car in a well-lit area. In general, the more visible your car is, the safer it will be. Parking under trees, on the other hand, should be avoided whenever possible. Trees shed debris with rain and wind and, on occasion, come down completely in severe weather. Not to mention bird poop is rather annoying, especially with a convertible.
• Fold in side mirrors: One of the easiest ways to protect your car when parking on the street is by simply folding in your driver-side side mirror. This prevents an irresponsible driver from passing too close to your parked car, clipping off your mirror, and continuing on with their day, leaving you with the bill for repairs.
• Take or hide your things and lock up: On average, over 80,000 unlocked cars are stolen each year. That's right, unlocked cars. So, while this may seem like an obvious tip, it is an important one. Lock your car, take your keys with you and be sure that no valuables are visible to people passing by and peeking in. Make sure potential thieves have no reason to be interested in your car or anything inside it.
• Make a note: People are forgetful. We forget our keys, our phones, our wallets. Heck, sometimes we forget whether or not our kids are in the backseat. We also, on occasion, forget where we park. Prevent this issue by dropping a pin on your maps app before you leave your ride behind. Then, when you're ready to return, simply pull up the pin and find your ride in no time.

Future Proof Investments 

• Car wash: Getting your car washed about every two weeks is a great way to make sure your car looks presentable. Beyond that, it shows would-be thieves that you pay attention to your vehicle. Oftentimes, car thieves target vehicles that look neglected. The idea here is that they will have more time after the theft to do with the car what they want before the owner even notices it's gone. So, protect your car's exterior appearance and show people you care about your ride with frequent washes. 
• Snow cover: A snow cover or car blanket protects your car from all elements. Whether that's snow, hail, tree debris, or bird droppings, a cover is a great way to protect your ride and prevent passersby from seeing what's inside.
• Sunshade: Over time, constant exposure to the sunlight will cause fading and cracks on your dash and other areas of your interior. A sunshade is a great way to protect your car's interior and prevent potential thieves from seeing something worth stealing in your car.
• Catalytic converter shield: This may sound like an unnecessary precaution, but when you consider the fact that an experienced thief can steal a catalytic converter in about two minutes, that $350 shield is looking a lot better than a $2,000+ converter.

Park like a Pro in Columbia

With more and more people moving to major metropolitan areas each year, parking in areas like Dayton is getting harder and harder to find, while inventory for car thieves has never been higher. However, if you follow these steps, you can rest easy knowing that you've done all you can to protect your car while it's parked on the street.

While ensuring your vehicle's health, you need to focus on many things, starting with the tires. Yes, tires are the most crucial part of your car that keeps it moving. Tire health plays a major role in adding up to the performance of your car. There are plenty of things you can do to maintain the quality of your tire. Tire rotation is among the most imperative functions to ensure your car's performance. It is an essential part of maintaining tore quality, and every car owner must follow that. 

In this article, you will get to learn why tire rotation is important for your vehicle. 

What is Tire Rotation?

It is the practice of changing your tire's position to maintain the balance and handling of the vehicle. It is highly essential to consider tire rotation as an essential function to improve your tire health in the long run. Tire rotation makes sure that the uneven tread depth doesn't affect your performance. 

Why do you Need to Think about Tire Rotation Regularly?

It is one of the common practices that manufacturers follow to keep the validity of the tire. Tire rotation helps in keeping the quality of tire consistent across all the tires. 

It will ensure that there is balance in the handling experience. It is important to understand that both front and rear tires work differently on the road, so you need to choose the ideal tire rotation pattern for both. Instead of spending money on changing the tires regularly, it is always beneficial to rotate them at regular intervals. 

What are the Signs That Shows you Need Tire Rotation?

Your tires will give out some signals for the tire rotation that you need to address at the right time. Following are some of the signs you cannot ignore-:

• When your steering wheel starts vibrating, you need to check up the tires immediately. 
• Make sure that all the tires are inflated properly to ensure whether they are balanced
• Check the tread spots on all the tires to ensure everything is under balance. 

A general thumb rule is to get the tires rotated every 3000-8000 miles. Just set a reminder to rotate the tires when you go for an oil change. There are different tire rotation patterns for each vehicle and tire condition. So, make sure you understand that condition before opting for it. 

You can consult your mechanic to know better about the tire rotation condition. It is always beneficial to check up the owner's manual to learn a suitable tire rotation pattern for your vehicle. This way, you can know what is best for your vehicle and its wheels. 

It’s the season for loved ones to meet up and appreciate time with each other. This might mean traveling via car, alongside numerous other people who will take off on the highways and roads. Too much traffic on the roads implies a more prominent possibility of an accident. 

The following are a few security tips to be safe on the road:

Show restraint: 

Continuously have caution in traffic. It assists with leaving ahead of schedule for your objective, so you don't feel hurried. When you rush on the road, it increases the opportunity of an accident and places others in peril. Be patient and appreciate the ride. Try not to make the experience of the road trip more distressing than needed. 

Get a decent night's rest: 

Don’t go on a road trip while you feel sluggish. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 70,000 accidents across the country are brought about by tired drivers. 

If you are traveling at night, think about traveling shorter distances and afterward stopping for a rest. Try not to drive if you're experiencing difficulty zeroing in on the road. If that is the situation, stop somewhere. Sufficiently bright supermarkets, malls, and even clubs frequently have lit and checked parking areas where nobody will be troubling you. 

Check the weather and roads:

Before leaving for your road trip, take a glance at the road and weather conditions to decide whether you may experience any hazardous weather. If you don't feel good driving in specific weather conditions, just delay your trip until its clear enough to drive safely. 

Watch your environmental factors: 

Accidents can occur on private roads, provincial roads, and significant interstates regardless of the time of day, consider everything around you while driving. If you are on a bustling interstate, focus on different cars and anything on the road. At the point when a course takes you down a lush region, watch for creatures that could shoot before your car. Watch out for youngsters riding bicycles or playing on the road neighborhoods. 

Sort out Your Car out: 

If you drive at over 50 mph, and if you take your eyes off the road for about 4 to 5 seconds, it might lead to drive an entire football field without turning upward. Arrange your car to guarantee what you will need is reachable and what you don't require is far out. 

Keep essential things well within reach of the driver’s seat. Keep the toll cards, carport passes, and extra change in middle console. Abstain from bowing down or going into your handbag to get things while you're on the road.  Safely keep your luggage in the trunk. If you hear something fall, don't try to get it while you drive. Those things can wait. Only pull over if you must guarantee something didn't break or spill.