Tips to keep your car ready for winter roads

CENTERVILLE, Utah — We have seen no shortage of snow and slick roads this season. After some time, it can take a real toll on your car.

At the end of the day, doing a check on your car is a safety factor. There are checks we can all do to make sure our cars are — or still are — road ready.

Miles Bell, manager of Dave’s Auto Center in Centerville, knows a thing or two about cars.

“We’re a family business of 33 years,” Bell said.

Bell said they see cars coming into their shop for all sorts of reasons.

“We see things constantly where people just couldn’t stop, or they couldn’t get traction and they run into something,” he said.

Add in snowy, slick roads, plus low visibility, and a lot of cars end up in the shop.

Some trips, Bell said, are preventable with a check you or someone else can do from home. In some cases, all you need is a penny.

We’re visiting Dave’s Auto Center🚙

Chances are, your car’s been taking a toll on the road this season.

Tip 1: Check your wipers are working & replace if needed before it’s too late.

Look at the tip/edge of blade. If you see a tear/streaking – time to get new ones! @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/5YJV84oN1e

— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) March 22, 2023

“If you take the penny and if you put it in the tread, you can see how his face almost disappears — that is considered good or plenty of tread.”

On the flip side, after doing a penny trick where the face is still showing in the tread, this is a sign that a new set of tires may be needed.

“That tire will not grab the snow. It will hydroplane and it won’t if you try to stop it. It won’t grip the road properly, and you will not be able to stop very well,” Bell said.

Driving safely in dicey weather also means checking for good wipers and replacing them if needed before it is too late.

“If you look at the tip or the edge of that blade, if you still start to see tearing, or if you’re seeing streaking on the windshields, you can have some of that dry rod on the end,” Bell said.

Tip 3: The Penny Trick! 🪙

If you take a penny and put it inside tread and the face DISAPPEARS – that is considered GOOD or plenty of tread.

This is ideal for safely driving in snow or wet conditions. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/Pz0LaxDyig

— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) March 22, 2023

Another pro tip: If your windshield wiper fluid is not spraying — or is not spraying like it should be — Bell said you can try this: “There’s a little nozzle at the end there, and you can take a toothpick or something small, you can clean it out, and sometimes that helps them spray a lot better.”

Taking just a few extra minutes out of your day can save time and money down the road.

“That extra time in the morning, or once a month, even something like that is worth it in the long run,” Bell said.