Anyone who lives in New York knows that winter can be brutal. The last thing you want is to find yourself stranded in your car in sub-freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions. While it’s always smart to avoid driving in treacherous winter conditions, it’s not always practical to stay home and wait for the weather to improve. That’s exactly why it’s important to maintain your Volkswagen in cold weather.

VW Maintenance for Winter Temperatures

If you’ve not yet taken your vehicle for its winter checkup and need a skilled shop that specializes in Volkswagen, we can help. We’ll give your vehicle a thorough winter check up. Our Process:

• Evaluate your battery, starting and charging systems, brakes, hoses, belts, and many other components.
• Check the air pressure and tread depth of your tires, and let you know if your tires are suitable for winter driving.
• Make sure you have proper antifreeze to keep your car running in frigid temperatures.
• Check the level and condition of your oil and other fluids.

Not only will a winter tune-up help keep you safe on the roads. It also will increase your car’s longevity.

Tips for Driving in Winter Conditions

Making sure your Volkswagen is in tip-top condition is paramount to surviving winter driving. Winter is not the time to attempt to operate your car when your reaction time is compromised. It’s also not the time to use cruise control.

Often, potential disaster is averted in seconds. You lose those seconds if you have to disengage cruise control. Finally, always wear your seat belt and never warm your car in a confined space like a garage, where carbon monoxide could saturate the air and become lethal.

Prepare for the Worst Just in Case

Your car has been serviced and you know what you need to do to remain safe on the roads. That’s still no guarantee that you won’t find yourself stranded. Hitting one patch of black ice or encountering one careless motorist can send you off the road. In a stalled vehicle, the temperature drops quickly.

Make sure you are prepared by equipping your vehicle with emergency supplies including:

• Jumper cables
• First-aid kit
• Blankets
• Water
• Nonperishable snacks
• Flashlight and batteries
• Cell phone and charger
• Matches
• A shovel
• Bag of kitty litter or road salt

Winter is not the time to gamble with your safety and drive a car that’s not suitable for icy and snowy conditions. Contact us for quality Volkswagen repair in Brooklyn. For more than 40 years, we’ve been helping to keep New York drivers safe.