By ANNA GILGOFF

Special to The Press

Winter can be hard on motor vehicles, but drivers can be proactive about keeping their rides in top condition even in frigid weather.

Maintaining safety while minimizing issues is important in adverse weather conditions.

“A lot of people neglect their cars in the wintertime,” said Kevin Vernarr owner of Appalachian Auto Care.

He pinpointed several areas that help drivers be safe in the coldest winter months.

Tire maintenance is key in insuring safety on icy roads.

“If your tire treads are worn to 50 percent or less, it’s going to be a slippery winter for you,” Vernarr said. “You’re just not going to have as much traction.

“You’ll need more braking room, and you’ll have to slow way down around curves.”

Vernarr also suggests checking tire pressure once a month throughout the winter. If the pressure gets low, the tires are more susceptible to puncture and premature wear.

Vernarr referenced his high school science class in explaining winter’s effect on tire pressure.

“Because air molecules condense, you lose volume, so you lose air pressure,” the Northwestern Lehigh alumnus explained with a smile. “When temps go down, air pressure goes down. This is going back to Mr. Frey’s physics class.

“It’s not rocket science. It’s pretty simple stuff.”

He said tire pressure needs to be checked as the winter goes on.

“If the pressure is low in only one tire, it could be a puncture leak, but if you see your light come on, all four tires can be low because of a temperature drop,” he explained.

Vernarr dismissed the use of chains for the most part.

“They make strap on chains, but unless you’re in deep snow, they’re not so effective,” he explained. “Very few people in our area put on snow tires because of the cost and the aggravation of having to go to the shop to switch them around.

“That’s why the all-season snow tires are getting so popular.

“They do make all weather snow tires and they’re awesome.”

There are other areas that require a little attention. Antifreeze efficacy is relatively easy to maintain by checking and flushing it.

“After a while, it loses its effectiveness and for a $69 coolant flush you could avoid losing an engine,” Vernarr said.

“We check it automatically when cars come in for oil changes. There’s a little tester that we use.”

“The pros say it should be flushed or changed every two years, he noted.

“We see at least 10 to 15 radiators go every year due to corrosion caused by antifreeze getting acidic,” Vernarr said.

A dead battery is everyone’s nightmare.

“Winter cold is a lot harder on the batteries, a lot harder,” Vernarr said. “It’s really a good idea to get your battery tested when going into winter.

“It’s a good time to have your battery checked when you go into an oil change.

“That could save you a tow bill, if your car doesn’t start somewhere.”

Keeping the windshield clean cannot be overrated.

“It’s important to have good visibility in the winter,” Vernarr said. “Just being able to see could save you an accident.

“Just this morning, I had a guy come in complaining about his windshield wipers.”

“Wiper blades should actually be replaced every six months and a good time to replace them is going into winter and going into summer,” Vernarr said. “The ice is really hard on them because it shreds them.”

Vernarr says something many people don’t think of is washer fluid.

“In the winter, I change over to Prestone, a winter washer fluid,” he explained, holding up a gallon size container.

“This stuff is amazing. It goes down to below negative 27 degrees. It’s more expensive but I put it in all my cars.

“This stuff is awesome.”

Keeping Jack Frost at bay is job No. 1 at the Appalachian Auto Care and Vernarr can’t praise his team enough for doing just that.

“The quality of people we have here is not something you find in common independent shops,” he said. “This team brings a lot of automotive knowledge, almost 70-plus years combined in automotive service.”

The team includes Paul Roche, ASE master tech; Chris Thompson, service manager; and new hire Jake Metzger, who joined in 2021.