Preparing your car for old man winter

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - These mild autumn weather days are the right time to take a close look at your car.

When it comes to old man winter and cars, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Checking the anti-freeze is an important part of making sure your car is ready to move into winter.

Toby Trump of Castleton Auto Repair said anti-freeze checks should be done every 60,000 miles as part of regular maintenance.

If the antifreeze is low in the car, it’s important to find out why.

"The first sign of a problem in that area is my heater only works some of the time, or not at all,” Trump said.

Toby warns that while your car may have made it through the summer heat without taking a hit, that doesn't mean its set to go for the winter.

"A lot of weaknesses will be brought out, but they may not fail until the winter," he said.

So it's important to make sure the car is in good enough condition to get you through whatever Mother Nature has in store this winter. Check the pressure in all four tires and check the tread.

"If you find that one side of the tire is deeper than the other side of the tire, that could indicate that you have a suspension problem, alignment problem of some kind, that could be robbing you of tire life,” Trump said.

Checking your battery is important too. Trump said hot weather takes a toll on car batteries but the battery may not fail until the cold winter weather hits.

Angie Hicks of Angie's List advises Hoosiers to find a good repair shop before they need one.

"Go to them for little things first. They can get to know your car and you can feel comfortable with the mechanic before something major happens. Because you really depend on your mechanic to help you make the decision on whether you repair your car, or replace it,” said Angie.

Trump said the best way to insure your car will continue working well is to follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule.

Most auto repair centers have a winter checkup at a minimal cost of about $30.

So whether you do it yourself or hire someone else, now is the time to get it done before you find yourself stuck on the side of the road in freezing temperatures.