Tips for Preparing your Car for Holiday Travel

It’s holiday time and for a lot of us that means holiday travel! Preparing your car for travel now is the best way to ensure you’ll be home for the holidays and enjoying time with those you love most. By taking care of simple maintenance and check ups now you can enjoy a winter full of worry free driving.

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I grew up in a wonderful home nestled in a deep canyon with very steep roads. I still have a very vivid memory of driving down the hill in the snow a little too quickly and having my car flip around a full 180. Thankfully I wasn’t hurt, but I was embarrassed because my Dad and my brother were coming down the hill right behind me and I knew I was a 17 year old girl stuck in the snow and needing help desperately. Now that I am a woman I feel much more empowered KNOWING what my car needs to stay healthy and staying safe on the roads to protect my family.

Prepare for the cold

Check your wipers: One thing that cars wear out relatively quickly are the wipers on your car. With heavy storms and snowfall you will want to make sure that you are prepped with wipers that can handle even the fiercest of storms. If you live in a particularly cold area you will want to make sure that your wiper/washer fluid has an antifreeze agent in it.

Winter tires. I had special studded tires when I lived at my parent’s house growing up and they were a life saver. Even though I was driving a car without four wheel drive I was able to drive up steep roads and avoid sliding into other cars. If you don’t need special winter tires, you can also buy all season tires that are made to handle all types of weather conditions. These are the kind I have now on my van and I’ve been really happy with them. Consider how many winter months you will need to be prepared for and make your best choice. Newer tires of any kind are going to keep you safer as they have tread and can withstand tricky situations.

Be prepared: Consider prepping a bag that you keep in your car with all the essentials of what you might need in case of an emergency. A charger for your cell phone, jumper cables, snacks, gloves/hat, blanket, umbrella, large window wiper, first aid kit, and flares.

For our family I also make sure that we have extra wipes and diapers, a change of clothes for the baby, and food for the baby.

Engine: The cold will take an extra toll on your car. Keep an eye on the radiator/heater hoses and check them for cracks or leaks.

Check the Lights: Do a quick check of all of your lights to make sure they are all working well. Visibility is everything on a late night or in the middle of a storm.

Full inspection: I like to have my car serviced regularly to check on the inner workings of my car. Having the fluids, tires, and brakes checked regularly is important to me because I don’t know how to check everything myself and feeling safe in my car with my sweet children is everything.

Recently I had my car service at my local TECHNET, Steve’s Automotive Specialists, in Salt Lake City. I knew that I needed my brakes fixed and the rotors replaced. I wanted to know how much something like this would cost, and was happily reassured that my car would be given a full inspection to know what my car needs before having any work done.

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After doing an analysis of my car I was sent an update through text on my phone so I could see exactly what my car needed and what the cost would be. Mike, the auto mechanic, took a long time to talk with me and tell me exactly what was going on with my car. He found that my axle needed some additional work and told me exactly what was going on. I was given the option of getting my brakes fixed or having the axle fixed as well. I decided with my husband that we wanted it all to be taken care of and I am so glad that they found a problem that I wasn’t even aware of. I knew that my tire had been clicking, but I didn’t know the problem was as serious as it was.

My car was given the standard 90 point check to make sure that is was ready for the winter condition. Tires, brakes, wipers, battery, lights, and fluids. It was even more comforting when I was given a follow up call even after my car was serviced to make sure that everything was okay. The cost was exactly as they quoted me and there were no surprises or extra services being pushed on me. I appreciated that they didn’t talk down to me, but they were also okay with going over the same information with my husband so that we could both be comfortable with the cost and services we were receiving.

We love supporting our local community and using services that are available to us. On average, 48% of each purchase at local independent businesses is recirculated locally, compared to less than 14% of purchases at chain stores. I loved that I was able to be shuttled home rather than waiting in the auto mechanic shop and was even given a car on loan to use while they were working on my car so I could run errands if I needed to. Each TECHNET Professional Automotive Service designed to support independently owned service centers. This allows members to compete with larger chains and give you the best price possible while getting the job done right.

You can find a TECHNET auto mechanic near you through their website or on Facebook or Twitter.

STEVES AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS
2809 SOUTH 2300 EAST SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84109
(801) 466-2886



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    Hello! I am Camille, a wife, mother of four, Disney obsessed, certified teacher, and reality optimist. Motherhood comes with its ups and downs, and I hope while you're here you'll find something that makes your #momlife easier!

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