When Should I Winterize my Subaru or Toyota?

Well if you’re like many drivers, the day before you need to use the car on a road trip, probably up to going skiing or driving to Montana for Thanksgiving. In all seriousness though, life gets busy and it’s easy to forget. I myself am guilty of letting things slide and then in a moment of sheer panic realize I am hearing the garbage truck on a Friday morning when I know I haven’t rolled the cans out. The stress of missing a garbage day can wreck a family.  Skipping the winter maintenance on your car and having a stranded on the side of the road moment is much much worse.

Getting back to When should you Winterize? Ideally in October or early November this should help avoid unwanted surprises or delays in being able to use your car the way you want to by making sure you are ahead of any freezing temperatures not just where you live but where you want to be at any given moment.  

What should a Winterize service include? 

There are always going to be variables to this but knowing where the freeze protection level of your engine’s cooling system is really the critical step one, but that’s only one step.  Making sure the engine oil is good to go for the next few months is also mission critical as is knowing the condition of your tires, wipers, belts hoses and the list goes on. 

A good winterization starts with an inspection by a qualified Technician who knows your make of vehicle.

This “Ready for Winter” inspection should include 

• Cooling system freeze protection and the over all condition of the cooling system including age of the plastic ready to crack radiator 
• Engine oil level and condition
• Tire pressure, tread depth and age
• Engine drive belt condition and age
• Engine cooling system hose age and condition
• Wiper blade age and condition but also do you live in an area that requires winter blades?
• Washer fluid, making sure if your traveling in an area where its going to freeze to add some protection
• All lighting needs to be inspected, if one head light is out replace both of them!
• The battery must be tested and if 3-5 years old should be highly considered.
• All other critical fluids level and condition
• Is the vehicle due for any other maintenance by time or mileage?  
• Is the AC system working properly?  Did you know your AC plays a critical role of speeding up the defrost function? 

How much is a winterizing service going to cost on my Subaru? 

How much does it cost to Winterize a Toyota?

In some cases it’s really just an oil change and courtesy inspection and in others it’s a cooling system service, new tires, wipers and maybe a belt or hose. The older the vehicle and the higher the miles the more the possibility of greater needs arises. That’s sometimes the offset of not having a huge car payment due every month. 

So the actual needs of the vehicle will dictate the costs, if you have been properly maintaining your car, most likely the needs will be minimal.  I will add to this that how you plan to use the car over the winter also plays a role in overall winter maintenance costs.  Don’t go skiing and can avoid using your awesome Subaru with AWD if we get low level Snow, you might skip tires that are marginally worn, but on the flip side of that if you are a skier and will not be able to contain yourself if we get snow, running a set of tires at 4/32 may not get the job done.  

If you have an older Toyota Hybrid and end up needing to service both the engine and hybrid system cooling system that can add up as well not to mention if you have reached the dreaded battery degrade stage of Hybrid ownership. 

Warning signs you need service? 

• If you have low heat output.
• Hear noises from the engine
• Experience any unusual smells
• See fluid under the vehicle  
• Have any indicator lights on or experience any other symptoms its better to get in sooner rather than later

Because each car’s actual needs are unique we feel it’s better to start off with basic maintenance such as an oil change service and a great inspection, advise on your cars actual needs combined with how you will use the Car this winter and then offer you 10% off of any needed winterize type maintenance.

Schedule an appointment today!