Submitted by Brett Hardcastle for Tumwater Automotive
It’s time to give your vehicle a holiday gift. Here’s a checklist of items to make your life less stressful during the holidays. Even Santa checks his sleigh, right?
The first thing to check is the anti-freeze. Does it need to be flushed and filled? If you didn’t change it last winter you need to change it this winter. Anti-freeze should be changed every two years or 30,000 miles whichever comes first. In addition to ethylene glycol, anti-freeze has other chemicals that lubricate the water pump and inhibits corrosion in the engine. These chemicals wear out and need to be replaced.
Reminder: Proper disposal of anti-freeze (coolant), a toxin, is mandatory. Improper disposal can pollute streams and rivers and poison animals. Let a professional shop make a proper disposal of your anti-freeze.
Winter is a critical time to check your vehicle’s motor oil. Check your vehicle owner’s manual for the recommended winter grade oil and change the oil to match. Winter grade oil is a lighter weight to help make cold weather starts easier. Naturally, you need to change the oil filter as well.
Next, check the condition of your wipers and your washer fluid level. Make sure your washers are in good working order and the reservoir is filled with washer solvent. Most washer solvents are good to about 10 below zero. Make sure the wiper blades are flexible and cover the entire windshield area.
Check the battery and charging system. A weak battery or alternator will not handle cold weather when you need extra amps to start a cold engine, leaving you stranded on a winter day or night.
Lower temperatures make fuel ignition more difficult. If you haven’t had a tune-up in a while, now is the time to get one. With a fresh set of spark plugs and new distributor cap, rotor and ignition wires as needed, your chances of your car starting without flooding greatly improve. New belts and hoses avoid having to “get out and get under” when it’s freezing outside. Spending a little up front on small gifts to your vehicles can help avoid a larger expense later.
A great gift for someone on your list is a pre-paid car wash card at the Tumwater Auto Spa. Mrs. Claus, AKA Denise Hardcastle, recommends this for a co-worker who loves to keep their car sparkling clean. They will remember you every time they drive through the car wash.
Starting December 1 through December 22, bring in up to three cans of non-perishable food for the Thurston County Food Bank and receive up to a $3.00 discount from the regular price of your car wash (cannot be combined with any other or special offers, please).
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Brett and Denise Hardcastle are the owners of Tumwater Automotive and the Tumwater Auto Spa, located at 6020 Capitol Blvd. SE. Brett and his staff can be reached at (360) 943-9097, Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., with free shuttle to and from home or work. The Tumwater Auto Spa Car Wash winter hours are Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
