Chevy Maintenance Musts for Cold Weather Seasons

Preparing Your Chevy for Winter: Essential Pre-Season Maintenance Tips

Is your vehicle ready for winter? If not, don’t worry — we’re experts at cold weather vehicle preparation! As we gear up for the winter season, we wanted to share several Chevy winter maintenance tips to help ensure an stress-free season. Check out our winter car care tips below and find out how you can prepare your Chevy for winter!

• Oil Change: Oil changes help your engine continue performing smoothly. Dirty or old engine oil can negatively impact the engine. Your engine already has to work harder in lower temps, so you’ll want to avoid putting extra strain on it. If your vehicle is due for a Chevy oil change, don’t wait! Now is the perfect time to change the oil yourself or schedule an appointment with your local Lancaster Chevrolet dealership! 
• Battery Test: Low temperatures can also impact your vehicle’s battery, so we recommend scheduling a battery test with one of our professionals to ensure that you won’t find yourself stranded with a dead battery this winter!
• Brake Inspection: Your brakes are one of the most important components of your vehicle, so make sure they’re all set for winter driving conditions with a thorough inspection and brake pad replacements, if needed. 
• Light Check: With shorter days and the potential for snow flurries, you’ll be counting on your headlights and taillights more than ever for visibility — both for you and other drivers. Make sure that all lights are working and replace any that are out.

Winter Tires and Beyond: Ensuring Optimal Traction and Safety

Continuing our winter maintenance checklist for Chevy vehicles and winter driving safety pointers, let’s talk about Chevy winter tires and the importance of having reliable tires on your Chevrolet in Lancaster, SC. Our tire experts are here to help you find the right set of tires for your needs, tell you about the best tires for icy roads, and share traction tips for Chevy vehicles!

• Tire Pressure: You may already know this, but tire pressure decreases in cold temperatures. During the wintertime, you’ll want to keep an eye on your tire pressure and adjust it accordingly. If your tires are underinflated, this can result in lowered fuel efficiency, poor handling, uneven tread wear, and other problems. If your tires are properly inflated, you’ll get better fuel efficiency, improved handling, even tread wear, and better traction, which will come in handy on slippery roads during winter driving. 
• Tire Tread: Good traction is important in every season, but you’ll appreciate it more than ever when encountering ice or snow. Because tire tread depth impacts traction quality, you’ll want to make sure your tires are ready to take on winter road conditions. You can bring your Chevy to Lancaster, SC, for a tire inspection at our service center or use a penny to check your tires’ tread depth yourself. Here’s how: Slip a penny into the grooves of the tread, making sure Lincoln’s head is pointed downward. If you see the top of Lincoln’s head, you’ll know that your tires need to be replaced. Check for other tire issues, too, such as bulges or cracks.
• Winter Tires: Whether you’re traveling farther North or want extra confidence this winter in Lancaster, you can choose to swap your regular tires for winter tires, which provide greater traction for winter driving. 

Keeping It Warm: Maintaining Your Chevy’s Heating and Defrost Systems

We’re here to help you maintain Chevy cabin comfort all winter long! Driving without proper heat sources can be both uncomfortable and dangerous. You can count on our service team for Chevy heating system maintenance, winter defrost tips, and car heater troubleshooting. Check out more of our cold-weather driving tips for Chevy cars below!

• Heating: As part of cold weather car care for your Chevy, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle’s heating system is working properly, including the defroster to ensure a clear view of the road. If your vehicle is equipped with heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and/or heated mirrors, you’ll want to make sure all of these features are working properly too.
• Windshield Wipers: Are your windshield wipers squeaking and/or streaking the glass? We recommend replacing them. You may even want to upgrade to winter wiper blades, which are designed to handle winter conditions.
• Windshield Washer Fluid: You can also have your windshield washer fluid swapped out for winter windshield washer fluid, which is designed to withstand freezing temperatures to keep your view clear.

Cold Weather Car Care Habits: Best Practices for Daily Driving in Winter

One final note as we wrap up our winter driving tips for Chevy vehicles. There’s more to winter safety than simply ensuring your vehicle is in proper working order. One of the most important things you can do to protect your Chevy in cold weather and stay safe in the wintertime is to practice safe driving habits. Stay alert and focused, and practice defensive driving. Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you, and don’t brake or accelerate too quickly.

We hope you found this seasonal Chevy maintenance guide helpful as you prepare for winter weather. If you’re ready to schedule an appointment, our Lancaster, SC, Chevy service center is here to get your vehicle in top-notch condition for winter driving!

For more daily winter car care and Chevy cold start tips, reach out to a member of our service team today! Your search for quality Chevy service near you ends here at Lancaster Motor Company.