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.

Do I Need an Alignment?

When you are buying a tire, there are a lot of things that you consider. One of the important caveats to consider is the alignment in new tires. Do you need an alignment? How does it benefit? In this blog, we are answering all these questions for you.

Tire Alignment - An Overview:

Alignment denotes an adjustment in the suspension of the vehicle. The suspension is what connects the vehicle to the tires. The idea behind adjustment is to angle the tire in a way that it makes proper and aligned contact with the road.

The Need for Alignment in New Tires

It is not mandatory to have wheel alignment in your new tires, but there are benefits of doing the same. An alignment works to make sure that all four tires on your vehicle are angled correctly with one another and the road.

Without an alignment in your new tires, you are likely to experience unsteady ride and uneven wear on the tires. And your tires may experience wear and tear prior to the normal time, thereby shortening the lifespan.

This can result in you having to change tires more frequently. While there are many affordable options to buy tires, nobody wants to spend money constantly changing tires and a wheel alignment can help you to achieve more miles out of the new tire set.

How Often Do I Need to Change the Alignment?

Typically, it is recommended to change your tire’s alignment once a year. However, clear instructions regarding this are mentioned in the owner’s manual and, your driving condition also determines the time frame at which you need to change alignment.

For instance, if you drive in extreme weather conditions or the road situation in your region is not adequate, then you may have to change the alignment more frequently. Following are some of the signs that indicate that it is time for the change.

• Your vehicle is making a flopping sound while driving. This sound indicates alignment issues, underinflated tires, or both.
• You hit a sudden pothole that jarred your vehicle.
• Your vehicle is veering from side to side.

The Prominence of Wheel Alignment

Having the tires aligned and getting it checked on a regular basis can help you save a significant amount of money. As we mentioned above, inadequately aligned tires can experience faster wear and tear; therefore, they are needed to be replaced more often.

But that is not it; misaligned tires can also drop the gas mileage up to 10%. Therefore, getting wheel alignment can help in saving fuel, thereby reducing the cost of filling up the tank more often.

Do All Four Tires Need to Be Aligned Together?

Most vehicles, including cars, vans, small SUVs, etc. need a four-tire alignment. Some vehicles featuring real solid axles can work fine with having just their front wheels aligned.

But, if all four wheels of your tires can be aligned, then always choose that. Look out for the above-mentioned signs, and if your vehicle experiences any of the signs, get it checked by a licensed technician.