Funviralpark Lubbock, Texas (KCBD) – Before you load up your car with gifts and suitcases and head off on vacation, a Lubbock mechanic is urging you to make sure your car is ready to go.
Don Bridge, shop foreman at Nick’s Automotive, says planning your trip before you leave can save you a lot of time on the road.
“Once it fails, the minimum failure is 45 minutes to several hours,” Bridges says. “So if we can get past it, stay ahead of it, and catch any issues before we leave, we can be confident that perhaps we will have a safer and easier trip.”
According to Bridges, the biggest mistake drivers make is not checking for moisture. In the cold, I advise everyone to pay close attention to the coolant so that it can withstand low temperatures.
“You can put coolant in there, but sometimes it only gets to 0 degrees,” Bridges says. “You need to check the coolant and make it at least minus 20 degrees, because problems occur when the temperature drops to 0 degrees.”
When checking the coolant, Bridges says if it’s low, you should take it to a mechanic and have them look further.
“If it’s below the minimum, you should top it up, but if it’s below the minimum, it’s usually going nowhere and you should probably check,” Bridges said. said.
Bridges says cold weather can also affect car batteries.
“Extreme heat and extreme cold knock out batteries, so they will be fine tomorrow and today,” Bridges says.
We recommend testing the battery and alternator.
“Sometimes it says, ‘I think it’s my battery,’ and the battery is low and it’s the alternator,” Bridges says. “One of his phases burned out, so now he’s not maxing out and he’s only putting out 50% of what he should be putting out.”
To get your tires to their destination safely, you need to check the tire pressure, make sure there are no cracks, and check the tread, he says.
If you have a breakdown, he says, stay as far away from the highway as possible.
“A lot of people hit the curb, try to get off the road because people are tired of the road and want to cross the line. If you’re near the highway, it hits you.” said Bridges.
Bridges says taking these steps could save thousands of dollars and time down the road.
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