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DRIVERS have been warned not to waste money on extra servicing as the winter months roll in and instead to “stick with the regular schedule”.
A motoring expert has “debunked” some of the most common myths around the effects of rapidly changing weather on your car – and revealed what you should do instead.
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We’re now well into Fall and drivers across the nation are having to contend with dropping temperatures and wetter conditions.
Florida and the rest of the south-eastern states are still reeling from the impact of dual hurricanes Helene and Milton.
But even in areas where the weather isn’t expected to be so extreme, there are still likely to be cold snaps and heavy downpours on the way.
With that in mind, Josh Bloom, owner of Bill’s Standard Service in Morrison County, MN, shared his advice on what you should be doing for your vehicle ahead of winter.
He advised drivers against shelling out on extra services like oil changes just because the cold season is approaching.
Plenty of auto shops might try and get hold of some extra cash by recommending more frequent maintenance using the weather as an excuse.
But as long as you keep an eye out for any warning signs and keep checking your fluid levels, there’s no reason why this should be more necessary than usual.
Josh told the Morrison County Register: “I would just keep on your regular schedule the way you’re doing it.
“If you’re doing December, drive until December or until you get your 3,000 miles, or your 5,000 miles, whatever.
“Just stick with the regular schedule.”
Likewise, he urged against a common “hack” of keeping your gas tank more than half full at all times during colder weather.
While this could save a bit of gas if you park in a heated garage, he explained: “If you generally just leave your car outside, it doesn’t matter all that much.”
However, there was one trick he felt it was vital for drivers to take advantage of, especially if you live in states like Minnesota where snow and ice are a common sight.
He went on: “Winter tires are by far superior to any other tires in the snow and ice.
“So if you’re going to be driving in that, you’ll definitely want to go with winter tires.”
That being said, if there’s no snow outside, he recommended sticking to winter or all-weather tires just to be safe.
