By Wayne Allen
As the winter months approach and the chill starts to set in, it’s important to properly prepare your vehicles. J.D. Knittel of Dean Knittel & Son Auto and Radiator Repair Inc. stressed the importance of proper vehicle maintenance before winter.
“When we do an oil change, we check the antifreeze. If the antifreeze is good we put a rust conditioner in the radiator, that protects the antifreeze for the year,” Knittel said.
The rust conditioner is designed to keep antifreeze clean and prevents rust and corrosion from building up.
“An oil change is always important before bad weather hits. Checking windshield wiper blades and now is the time to check the heater and make sure it works. Don’t wait until we get zero degree weather,” Knittel said. “You also want to check your tires; we check tires over real good and make sure they are where they should be. Definitely need to check belts and hoses.”
Knittel said everyone should check their windshield wiper blades, because the area will be entering a wet season soon.
A new study from AAA shows, millions of roadside breakdowns each year could be prevented with basic vehicle maintenance. An AAA survey found that 35 percent of Americans have skipped or delayed service or repairs that were recommended by a mechanic or specified by the factory maintenance schedule.
According to released information, in 2014 AAA responded to 29 million calls for roadside assistance, 17 million calls were due to battery failure, flat tires and keys locked inside the vehicle.
AAA offers some recommendations on things that should be checked on a vehicle before winter.
Batteries, automotive batteries typically last between three and five years. AAA recommends batteries are checked after three years and on an annual basis. Tires, keeping tires properly inflated and routinely checking thread depth in critical to safety. AAA recommends checking tires at least once a month.
“We’ve got trained mechanics, to look at stuff like that. There’s things that we can see, that maybe the normal person may not think to look for,” Knittel said. “It’s important to have someone look at your car, that familiar with it and can maybe point out things that you need to do or soon.”
Knittel said now is the time to get these things checked out, before the cold weather hits and you find out something does not work.
Dean Knittel & Son Auto and Radiator Repair are located at 1201 Franklin Ave. in Portsmouth and can be reached at 740-353-2647.
Wayne Allen can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 1933 or on Twitter @WayneallenPDT
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