The holidays are here which means plenty of friendly greetings, eating sweets, and traveling to see your family. AAA estimates around 99 million people will travel by car for Christmas. If you are one of those millions driving somewhere that has a real winter, you need to make sure your car is ready. Even if you are staying in Houston, your car needs to be ready to transition from an extreme summer to a mild winter. To Houstonians, prepping your car for winter can sound like a foreign concept. Let us help you make sense of it all.

First, you’re going to need to know how often your owner’s manual says your car should be serviced. Your owner’s manual may have specific instructions for winter on how often to change your oil and the water to coolant ratio you should have. The next step in preparing your car for winter is checking the exterior of your car. You want to make sure your tires are in good condition. Winter roads can do a number on tires that are already worn. You should make sure your lights aren’t cloudy and your windshield wipers are sturdy enough to handle icy windshields. Then, you should take your car in for a tune-up. Make sure the technician checks your fluids, belts, hoses, battery, filters, brakes and ignition. Let them know you are trying to get your car ready for winter. Lastly, during winter, check your tires’ pressure regularly. It is also a good idea to keep your oil maintained. You also don’t want to let your gas tank get too empty or condensation can build up inside.

Making sure your car is ready for winter in advance can help you make your family road trip more enjoyable. Be the family from the movies that gets to their destination safely, not the one on the side of the road!

Bring your vehicle to First Tire & Automotive and we will make sure it is ready for winter travel.