3 Car Tips to Help Save You Money This Winter

If you have a car, then you already know how much time and money can go into keeping them road-ready. While you might need your ride to keep all the other aspects of your life running smoothly, here are some tips for keeping your maintenance costs down and making smart investments for your vehicle during this winter season.

Tip #1: Winter Tires Can Save You Money

Winter tires have a lot of benefits, even though they might feel like a pain when it's time to change them out. Modern winter tires are made from special rubber that's meant to remain pliable in even the coldest weather. This allows them to get a much better grip on the road, but it also means they aren't prone to the same kind of wear and tear that non-winter tires can easily pick up during the colder months. So when you tally your gains, you have a set of tires that will give you better stopping power and which won't wear down as much as the tires you use during the rest of the year. With those two sets of tires each doing their part, you'll find that by swapping them during the appropriate seasonal changes, you won't need to replace either set for quite a while. While a standard set of tires can handle spring, summer, and fall, winter is where they'll take a serious beating. By replacing your regular tires with specially-made winter tires that can shed the brunt of that punishment, you end up with safer driving and fewer expenses.

Tip #2: Keeping the Right Tire Pressure Saves You at the Pump

Every tire has an ideal PSI. Unfortunately, if you're waiting for that low-pressure light on your dashboard to tell you when you need to put air in your tires, you could be costing yourself a lot of money. For every one PSI below its ideal level, you lose .4 percent on your miles per gallon. That can add up if you do a lot of driving. As tire pressure drops significantly during colder weather, it’s best to check your tires every couple of days.

Tip #3: Don't Let Your Car Warm Up

The age-old wisdom we all use when it gets cold is to let our cars warm up. However, with modern vehicles, this kind of behavior has not been necessary for decades now. In fact you actually do more harm than good by letting your car idle. By letting your car idle, you waste fuel that can cost you a lot of money over the long-term. You'll actually get a faster response from your vehicle if you drive slowly for 30 seconds or so than if you just let it sit and run. At Custom Complete Automotive, we are here to help with all of your car’s seasonal issues. To learn more about our auto services, contact us today!