Volvo Winter Maintenance Tips

If you are planning to take a trip up to the mountains this holiday season; Personalized Autohaus is offering all drivers some winter driving and car maintenance tips from experience.

Driving on snow and ice puts both the driver's abilities and the car's systems to the test. Volvo tests its cars to operate at in a typical Scandinavian winter designing cars to cope with a cold environment.

Checklist for winter Maintenance:

1. New winter tires and rims
2. New rear disk breaks and pads
3. New oil with oil and air filters change
4. New timing belt and two safety pulleys
5. Collector gasket changed
6. Rear bumper aerodynamics recalculated
7. Spark-plug cables replace

Looking after the car

Your car needs to be in the best condition possible to cope with the extra strain of starting and working smoothly in extra cold conditions.

1. Make sure the engine has quality coolant that can cope with up to -31 ºF degrees without freezing.

2. Try to keep the fuel tank as full as possible to prevent condensation in the tank and provide the maximum range and running time for the engine if stuck in snow.

3. Engine oil with lower viscosity (ie. thinner) makes cold starting easier and reduces fuel consumption. For winter use 5W/30 oil is recommended, particularly synthetic types.

4. Check the state of the battery more frequently as the heater fan and all the electrical items being used put a greater strain on the battery - and a poorly charged battery can freeze and become useless.

5. To prevent the windscreen washer fluid, hoses and nozzles from freezing, and to avoid damage to the washer pump, add washer solvents with plenty of anti-freeze.

6. Avoid using de-icing sprays on door locks as they can impair the locking mechanism. Volvo recommends a Teflon lock spray instead, available from Volvo dealers.

Looking after the driver
The driver needs to be alert and prepared to take extra care, especially when braking.

1. Don't always follow previous tracks in the snow as this compacted snow is likely to be more slippery. The fresh snow between the tracks will offer more resistance and stopping power.

2. Always brake gently and allow extra stopping distance on icy roads, and if the car skids, steer into the skid, not the other way. Snow by the side of the road may provide extra stopping power - and is always preferable to hitting oncoming traffic.

3. Air conditioning is not just for summer but equally important in winter as a dehumidifier to keep windows clear of condensation and give the driver better visibility.

4. The air quality inside the car is another important safety factor. Cold temperatures have a negative effect on combustion, so the surrounding air is likely to contain more impurities in winter, so keep the air conditioning on to help purify the air.

5. Volvo advises against the temptation of turning the car's heating up too high when driving in winter. Volvo's research shows that too high an interior temperature jeopardizes the driver's reaction times and increases the amount of errors. A constant, comfortable temperature inside the car is an important safety factor. It is unhealthy and disorientating to have an extreme difference in inside and outside temperature.

6. Don't forget automatic transmissions usually have a Winter setting to aid traction by starting in a higher gear than normal when pulling away in slippery conditions.

Bring in your Volvo to Personalized Autohaus for a Maintenance check before the holiday season to get your vehicle ready for an upcoming trip. Talk to our Certified Volvo Master Technician Eric Benner to evaluate your vehicle of its needs. Call us to make a service appointment today and get 15% Labor Discount (858) 586-7771.