Car Repair Tips Before the Holidays

We know you have a list about a mile long of things you need to get done before the holidays. But amid all the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, baking, and planning, it’s important that you don’t neglect essential tasks like car repairs. Many people choose to take road trips to visit family during this season, and it’s extremely important that you ensure your car is ready for the drive. Here are a few car repair and maintenance tasks to get done at body shops in Houston, TX, before your holiday travel begins.

Check Your Heat

Things don’t get too chilly here in the Lone Star State. You might think that your heater is working just fine, only to reach below-freezing climates and discover it’s not performing as well as it should. Keeping your car warm in 60-degree weather is very different from heating it up in 20-degree weather. So, make sure that you have your car’s heater checked and tested out so that you’re not in for an unpleasant surprise when traveling to colder climates.

Check Your Tires

You should always check your tires before any road trip, but it’s especially important to do this during the holiday months for two reasons: First, roads are more likely to be snowy or icy, so you want to make absolutely certain that your tire pressure and treads are in tip-top shape and can give you the traction you need. If the treads are getting low at all, it might be a good idea to replace your tires before any winter road trips. Second, tire pressure tends to drop when it’s cold, as the air within the tires compresses. Make sure to top off the air to recommended pressure levels before the holidays.

Check Your Headlights

Even if you don’t do a lot of nighttime driving, it’s important that you ensure your headlights are fully functional. At this time of year, sunset comes early, and cloudy, dreary days are quite common. Having functioning headlights is a key safety issue at any time of year, but you’ll likely get more use out of them during the holidays. In addition to ensuring they work, consider having the headlights cleaned on the inside so that they’re brighter, clearer, and provide better illumination.

Test Your Battery

Batteries can often struggle in colder weather. The holidays are a good time of year to have your car battery tested to ensure it’s operating at peak performance. If your car has a tendency to struggle when starting, a new battery might be in order; as the weather gets colder, you’ll likely experience more starting issues due to the battery struggling to turn the engine over.

Handle All Body Repairs

Finally, make sure that you take care of any body damage before the holidays as well. Salt on the roads can easily get into areas of exposed metal and cause rapid rusting, which is a serious problem for your car’s overall safety. If you have any body damage, bring your car in forauto body collision repair in Houston and treat yourself to the gift of a car that looks like new again.