Local Car Expert Gives Cold Weather Car Care Tips

(KNSI) — If you’re going over the river and through the woods this winter, a local car care expert says a few simple checks of your vehicle now could prevent disaster over the busy holiday travel weekend.

Jesse Nelson, General Manager of Granite City Tire and Auto says a commonly overlooked piece of equipment is the windshield wipers. Nelson says “When you go to hit your wipers, if you can’t see then that becomes a dangerous situation. So swapping out right before winter or right before the rainy season is always a good idea.”

As you back out of the garage, check the garage floor for drips. Nelson says a common issue this time of year is coolant leaks. “A lot of the newer engines have plastic pieces connected to metal pieces. As they heat up, they expand at different rates which can cause leaks. If you have a coolant that’s 200 degrees run through your vehicle and it’s cold outside that will cause cracking or fatigue on the part. So if you do notice [drips] or if you notice your heater doesn’t seem to be on quite as good as it used to be, it could be a combination of things we can address.”

Nelson also mentioned having a good, strong battery under the hood is also important. “Heat is harder on batteries. It seems like until you get some severe cold, they seem to always work for the most part. But wherever you bring your vehicle in, always test the battery, do a load test on it to make sure that your vehicle is going to start.”

In other news, Granite City Auto and Tire donated over $2,000 to the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud. For every Goodyear tire sold in the past few weeks, $10 was donated to the cause.

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