Winter is right around the corner. Time to start planning our holiday trips and excursions. If you are heading out for a winter road trip this holiday season, the car care professionals at Southside Auto Repair have a few tips for a trip that will truly be merry. Here are a few winter tire tips that will save you both time and money.
1. Check Your Tire Pressure
The first tire care tip for winter is monitoring your tire pressure. Your tires can lose one to two pounds of tire pressure for every 10-degree temperature drop! Underinflated tires can lead to a longer stopping time on wet or snowy roads. Other disadvantages of low tire pressure are increased tire wear and poor gas mileage.
2. Winter Tread Depth
Another tire care tip for winter is to check on your tread wear. The tread depth for dry roads will not necessarily be sufficient for snowy surfaces. Typical winter or snow tires have deeper treads. All-season tires may no longer have sufficient tread depth after driving on hot, dry pavement all summer long. If you have any questions regarding the tire wear on your vehicle, visit Southside Auto Repair for a full tire check-up.
3. Tire Rotation
The last of the winter tire tips is to check to see if your tires need to be rotated. Rotating your tires will lend improved tire wear, resulting in longer tire life and better handling in the snow. Consult with the professionals at Southside Auto Repair for scheduled tire rotation.
A Few Extra Tips for that Holiday Road Trip
Always bring extra blankets, food, and water. Sitting in a disabled vehicle can be a harrowing experience, especially during the winter months.
1. Stay warm and hydrated.
2. A drained battery is the most common wintertime problem. Make sure you have jumper cables in your vehicle at all times.
3. Keep your gas tank full. A full tank keeps gas lines from freezing. In addition, a full tank will also be beneficial when stuck in traffic jams and detours during your road trip.
4. Keep your cell phone battery topped off during your trip. Good communication is imperative on a road trip, especially during the winter months known to have dicey weather conditions.
As always, we hope you found these few winter tire tips helpful. If you have any further questions on how to prepare for that winter road trip, please contact us at Southside Auto Repair.
Safe Travels!
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