Get Your Car Ready for Spring

The weather is starting to get nicer this month. It is time to get your car ready for spring.  We have some great tips on how your car can be clean and ready for the beautiful weather in the city.  Keep reading and click here to learn more!

1. WASH THE UNDERBODY

Wintertime driving will coat the bottom of your car with salt, sand and other grime that can cause corrosion. Corrosion can lead to rust problems, which can make your car much harder to resell or even dangerous to drive.

Spend a few extra dollars for the undercarriage power wash at the local car wash or spray the car's bottom with your own hose. If possible, use a car jack to raise the vehicle for a more thorough cleaning, advises Bill Kropelnicki, president and owner of Rambling River Repair in Farmington, Minn. There's no need to use soap or any other cleaner.

While you're at it, open the hood and wipe down the engine with a soft mitt and soapy water. And remove all the leaves and debris that can find their way into the car, says Cliff Weathers, deputy autos editor for Consumer Reports. And remove any crusty white residue off the battery with a toothbrush, baking soda and water. The residue — caused by corrosion — can eventually prevent your car from starting. The cleaning also helps prepare the battery for the stress of warmer temperatures.

2. SCRUB INSIDE AND OUT

Salt and sand can damage the car's paint. Give your car a thorough cleaning and wax it with a paste or liquid wax, Weathers said. He cautions that sprays don't clean as well.

Scrub the bottoms of doors, which can get coated with grime, Kropelnicki says. He also urges car owners to clean the window channels, Also apply a silicone spray, which repels dirt and lubricates the surfaces so the windows will operate smoothly, he says.

Use a steam cleaner — you can rent one for $20 at Home Depot — or apply a rug-cleaning spray to remove all the salt from the car's inside. Salt can break down some fabrics and cause rips or tears when feet grind against them.

And don't forget to take bags of salt and ice scrapers out of the trunk.

3. REPLACE WIPER BLADES

Wiper blades get a workout during the winter months. Weathers advises changing them each spring and fall. Amazon.com's best-selling Bosch wiper blades go for $25 a pair.

4. CHECK TIRE PRESSURE

Some garages recommend a wheel alignment — which can cost around $80 — or a tire rotation as part of your spring maintenance. Weathers doesn't think it's necessary as long as you're following the car's regular maintenance schedule and doing normal winter driving.

Check your tire pressure. Cold weather can cause tires to be underinflated and the onset of warm weather can overinflate them. Also, visually inspect your tires to make sure they're wearing evenly and have plenty of tread for the rainy spring weather ahead.

Driving on properly inflated tires can save you money. It can cost anywhere from $50 to $250 to replace a blown tire, depending on the kind of tire you need.

5. TOP OFF FLUIDS IF NEEDED

Winter weather can deplete some fluids — especially windshield wiper fluid — more quickly, so top them off yourself if they're too low. A service station will also do the job for $25 or so. You should change your oil, brake fluid and transmission fluid every 5,000 miles or so, regardless of the season, Weathers says.

The Worst Things Your Mechanic Can Tell You

Some car issues are easier fixes than others. But then there are those mechanical problems that every car-owner dreads, the fixes that make you consider buying a new vehicle because it might just be more worthwhile than paying the price for such an expensive repair.

Cars.com has compiled a list of the top 10 worst things your mechanic can tell you is wrong with your car. If you ever have one of these problems you might just want to consider stopping in to see us for your next vehicle.

1. Seized Engine Due to Lack of Oil
"The reason your engine stopped running is that it's now a melted mass of amalgamated metals. What used to be aluminum pistons, steel cylinder walls and an iron crankshaft is now a 900-pound garden sculpture. The Smithsonian wants to put it on display." 

Cost: $3,000 for a used engine, up to $10,000 for a remanufactured engine. 

The lowdown: A "seized" engine means that your lubrication failed (that is, you had insufficient oil or oil pressure), and the expensive moving parts of your engine scraped each other into a heated glob of useless scrap metal. Unfortunately, there's no way to fix a seized engine. Instead, the engine needs to be replaced with a used or remanufactured engine. What happens to your old engine? A recycler will finish the melting job, and the engine will be transformed into thousands of tiny Bic lighters.

2. Hydrolocked Engine
"That 4-foot-deep puddle that you tried to cross? You sucked some of it into your engine's cylinders." 

Cost: $3,000 to $10,000 

The lowdown: There are certain places water shouldn't be — like inside your iPhone, on your original Matisse watercolor or inside your engine's cylinders. Normally, your engine's cylinder contains air and droplets of fuel. The air is compressible, so when the piston squeezes everything, the pressure just goes up. Water is not compressible, so when the piston tries to squeeze the water, the piston loses. Then all the expensive parts that are attached to the piston get bent or broken. Just like your bank account. 

3. Overheated Engine 

"When you saw the paint on your hood was starting to blister, did that give you any kind of hint that you might have been overheating?" 

Cost: $100 to $10,000 

The lowdown: If you catch an engine overheating early enough and take action, you can get by cheaply. It could be a leaky hose, a stuck thermostat or a loose clamp.  If your car overheats badly, or frequently, you can do serious damage. The most common results of frequent or severe overheating are a blown head gasket, a cracked head or a cracked block. Those are, respectively, expensive, really expensive, and you may wind up saying, "I guess I won't be retiring for another year." 

4. Transmission Failure 

"Did you notice when you put your car in Drive, it doesn't move? We figured out why." 

Cost: $300 to $5,000 

The lowdown: The good news is that your engine is still running. The bad news? It's no longer connected to the wheels. Transmissions can fail for a number of reasons. These days, it's not uncommon for electronically controlled automatic transmissions to have problems related to software or solenoids. Those are not disasters and can be fixed for relatively little money. When the transmission's internal components start to disintegrate (like when your mechanic removes the transmission drain plug and chunks of metal fall out) due to old age, overheating the transmission or animalistic driving tendencies, it's time to tap the home-equity line of credit. 

5. Cracked Head, Blown Head Gasket or Cracked Block
"That stuff blowing out of your tailpipe isn't just water. It's antifreeze." 

Cost: $1,000 to $4,000 

The lowdown: There are a few places you should never see antifreeze: falling from the sky, in your cereal bowl or coming out your tailpipe. The engine's cooling system is a closed system, meaning that the coolant circulates from the engine's cooling passages to the radiator, the heater core and back again. It should never leave that loop. If it's somehow getting into the oil passages or the cylinders (and, from there, out the tailpipe) something has gone terribly wrong. Your head gasket has cracked, your head itself has cracked or, worst of all, your block has cracked. These problems are often the result of overheating (see No. 3). 

6. Broken Timing Belt
"Look in your glove box. If you open the shrink-wrapped booklet that says Owner's Manual, you'll see you should have changed your timing belt 20,000 miles ago." 

Cost: $1,500 to $3,500 

The lowdown: There are two kinds of engines: interference engines and non-interference engines. Or, as we refer to the interference engines in the trade, motor wreckers.
An interference engine is actually a more modern engine design, where the valves open wider and into the path of the upcoming piston. This lets the engine breathe better, giving it more power and better fuel efficiency. It all works fine as long as your timing works fine — when the valves are open, the piston is down, and when the piston comes up, the valves are closed and out of the way. If your timing belt breaks or jumps a notch on an interference engine, the piston smashes the valves, and you need a valve job ... at least. That's why it's crucial to change the timing belt at the recommended interval, before it gets anywhere near the point of breaking. 

On a non-interference engine, a broken timing belt will leave you stranded, but it won't crush your valves. You can ignore the timing belt change on one of those engines if you don't mind getting stuck. On an interference engine, you're rolling the dice on a large boat payment for your mechanic. 

7. Transmission Fluid in the Brake Fluid Reservoir 

"That was the brake fluid reservoir, to which you added transmission fluid." 

Cost: $800 to $2,000 

The lowdown: If you catch this mistake before you actually get back in the car and step on the brakes, and have the car towed to your mechanic, you may get by with just a new master cylinder. But once a petroleum-based product, like transmission fluid or motor oil, is pushed through the brake system, pretty much everything has to be replaced. The oils attack rubber seals, and everything except the metal brake lines has rubber seals. Once you've used the brakes and sent this stuff through the brake lines, grab your credit card and check your credit limit! 

8. Fried Computer  

"You hooked up the jumper cables backward." 

Cost: $1,500 to $100,000, in the event plastic surgery is required. 

The lowdown: In lots of cars, there's some type of protective circuitry in the event that you accidently reverse polarity when hooking up jumper cables. However, that's by no means true for all cars. If your car is one of the unlucky ones, you might be looking at having to buy a new computer for your car, and maybe a few new wiring harnesses, too. Even worse, you may incur so many confounding electrical problems that the best thing you could hope for is ... fire. Even if your car is OK, you might blow up one of the batteries in the two cars. If that happens, you might need to buy yourself a new face, too. 

9. Worn Clutch 

"That smell that's been following you around for miles? It's your clutch burning up." 

Cost: $1,000 to $2,500 

The lowdown: The operation of the clutch is based on friction. It's a tricky business to apply that friction slowly enough so that A) your engine doesn't stall and B) your passengers don't get whiplash. At the same time, you have to apply the friction quickly enough so you don't "sand down" the clutch and end up with no friction material left. When you continually let out the clutch too slowly, while giving the engine lots of gas, you're essentially wearing out the friction part of the clutch. Like a piece of sandpaper, a smooth clutch with no grabby surface can't do its job. If you're doing a bang-up job of it, you can actually start to smell the clutch burning as you wear it down. How quickly can you do this? We actually have a friend who did exactly this and destroyed a clutch in as little as 20 miles. No kidding! You know that $1,200 you saved by buying a manual transmission instead of an automatic? You're about to spend it on your first clutch replacement. 

10. Catastrophe at the Repair Shop
Cost: $0 if your mechanic has insurance; $25,000 if not. 

The lowdown: You know how you'll occasionally break a glass at home or drop a fork down the garbage disposal? Well, these kinds of little accidents happen. In the repair business, a tiny moment of carelessness can lead to something much more exciting, such as a car falling off the lift or catching fire. These are exciting moments for mechanics. And once they're over — and everyone is present, accounted for and still fully limbed — we feel a moment of euphoria to still be alive. 

Unfortunately, that's usually the moment we choose to call the customer and share this good news. "Good news! You're car fell off the lift, but nobody was underneath it!" For some reason, this isn't always received as good news. Fortunately, reputable repair shops have Bonehead Insurance for such calamities. You may be able to go out and buy that new Accord you've had your eye on. Remember: It's only a car. Cars can be replaced. People can't. At least that's what we keep telling our customers.

Click the link to read the full article from Cars.com: http://bit.ly/NuSEm1

Steps To Take After an Accident

Nobody wants to get into a car accident. But sometimes fender benders happen. How you handle the situation afterwards can affect your personal health, how your insurance carrier will handle the incident, and the overall outcome of the accident.

There are a few general things to consider doing after a car accident. This article from Cars.com lists the steps you should take to ensure that all parties involved in a fender bender are taken care of physically, legally, and emotionally.

1. Think safety first.
It's a given to think safety in a more serious crash, but the after affects of fender-benders can be dangerous too. While in many states, the law requires you to stop after a collision, it's important to pull out of any driving lanes, even if the traffic behind you is stopped. This is to avoid a secondary collision, as well as to not impede traffic flow. 

If you are the front car in a collision, motion to the other driver and have him follow you to the closest spot where there's room for both of you to pull over safely. If you are parked in the breakdown lane, be sure to stay as far away from moving cars as possible as you exchange information and assess damage. 

If you can't move your car out of traffic, stay in the car with your seat belt buckled and call 911. No matter where you are stopped, turn your hazard lights on or put out flares or an emergency triangle if it's safe to do so. 

2. Check for injuries. 
Even in a relatively minor collision, people can be hurt. First, look at yourself, in a mirror if possible. While your adrenaline will be flowing hard, stop and think about if any part of your body hurts or if you are dizzy, short of breath or have other symptoms of an injury. Once you decide you are okay, ask the others involved if they are hurt. If anyone is injured or even seems like they might be, call 911. Unless you have first aid training, don't move anyone who is injured unless they are at risk of further injuries because of their location. 

3. Consider calling the police.
In many states, if no one is hurt, the cars involved are not blocking traffic and damage is under $1000, reporting the accident to the police is not required (New York and Massachusetts are two such places), but you may choose to make the call if you want a police report taken. If you think getting a report of the accident would be helpful in establishing fault or because you suspect fraud, then certainly make the call to request police assistance. 

Sometimes, especially in cities where officers are busy responding to calls of injuries and lawbreakers, the police may not respond to this request for a minor accident. Even if they don't respond, you may be required to file a report yourself, if anyone is hurt or if the damage exceeds a certain amount. Check with your local police, Department of Motor Vehicles or insurance company to find out. Keep in mind though, that in many states, if a police report is filed, your insurance company will be notified of the accident, which could derail you if you have plans to keep the accident quiet, though not reporting it is illegal in many states. 

4. Look for eyewitnesses. 
Noting any eyewitnesses to the collision is a smart move, especially if there's any question of fault in the collision. Go to the eyewitnesses as quickly as possible to get the full name, street address and day and evening phone numbers for each witness. Even if no police report is taken, you can provide this info to your insurance company. 

5. Make a plan if your car is being towed.
If the damage to your car is severe enough that it needs to be towed, take a few minutes to make a plan your next steps. Where do you want the car to be towed? Having it delivered to a dealer, mechanic or body shop you trust is ideal, even if you need to pay a bit because it's being towed further away. If you car is taken to the towing company's yard or other nearby location and you'll want it to go somewhere else later, you could end up paying for a second tow. 

If your car is being towed, make sure to get all of your personal belongings out of it first. If these items are stolen, they won't be covered under your auto insurance, plus they may be things you need later. 

6. Make notes.
In addition to the contact info of any eyewitnesses, take a moment to jot down the time of day as well as the street or highway where the collision occurred and the nearest cross-street or exit -- your insurance company will ask you for these details. It's also a good idea to note the road conditions, the weather, the speed limit sign, traffic signals and accident results, such as skid marks, since your insurance company may ask that information as well. 

7. Take pictures.
If you have a camera, even in a cell-phone, take pictures of the damage (or lack of it) of all the cars involved, as well as any pictures that can help the insurance company understand how the accident occurred and possibly determine fault or fraud. If possible, photograph each car by standing at an angle from each wheel, so one side and either the front or rear of the car is visible in the frame. Take close-up pictures of any vehicle damage (from this accident or not) and, if appropriate, of any people involved. You might also want to photograph the items you took notes on. 

8. Double check the other party's information.
Everyone knows to exchange information, but do so by writing down the info yourself by copying it from the person's driver's license and insurance card versus having them write it down for you. As you copy the info, ask if this is the person's current address and also compare the vehicle description, including the VIN, from the insurance card to the car itself. Make note of any discrepancies. 

9. Call your insurance company. 
Even in a fender bender with minimal damage, you are going to want to call your insurance company (and, in some states, you may be required to do so). Repair costs for even a new bumper and taillight can easily exceed a low deductible, and even seemingly minor damage to a car's exterior can reveal underlying damage once a body shop looks at the car more carefully. Be very cautious if you opt to try to handle the repair costs between the parties involved, check your state laws on this and decide in advance how to handle it if your car repair costs go up if they find more extensive damage once they have your car apart or if a person decides they are injured later. 

10. Consider visiting a doctor.
Even if you are not seriously hurt, it may be wise to see a doctor within the day or so after the crash. Soreness and stiffness can be signs of a more serious injury and if they are, it should be diagnosed and treated promptly. While it's not right to take advantage of the system, it is appropriate to ensure that any medical issues that are a result of the accident are taken care of by the at-fault party. You don't want to wait until months later to discover the lingering problem you have is a result of the car accident.

Car Care in Winter

We finally have a nice day in Pittsburgh.  This is the perfect time to give your car a little car wash care.  What are the best ways to prepare for the rest of winter?  This blog has your answer.  Use the next two days to get your car to Mr. Magic, and you can get that rust causing salt off of your car.

Human beings can't live without salt. It's a necessary nutrient, it's used to seed rain clouds, soften household tap water, make chemicals and, most important, to make ice cream.

In those parts of the country with freezing winter temperatures, drivers know that warming the cars up in the morning isn't the only inconvenience. Icy roads are, too. The same chemical reaction between ice and salt that creates creamy, delicious ice cream also keeps our roads and sidewalks free of dangerous ice during the cold winter months.

A salt and sand mixture is frequently spread over roads before or after a snow or ice storm. Salt lowers water's freezing point, causing any ice already formed to melt even though the air temperature remains well below freezing. The sand helps keep the salt in place, plus it adds a bit of traction to wet and often slushy roads.

While road salting helps people travel safely, it has drawbacks. It can cause major body and undercarriage damage to your vehicles unless you take extra care and precaution.

If you're one of the many who must travel the saline streets in the land of the ice and snow, we have some great tips to help protect your vehicle from the ravages of road salt.

Prevent Winter Damage To Your Car

The snow, ice, and salt this winter in Pittsburgh have been horrible. Your car can still survive.  Here are some great winter tips on how to clean your car off without damaging the surface.  You can learn more at Angie's List.

When snow falls in large amounts, the task of unburying your vehicle can be daunting. It is important to remove the snow properly to avoid unnecessary damage to your vehicle’s surfaces.

People try a variety of techniques to deal with these problems, but sometimes they do more damage than good. We have compiled a list of winter “Do’s and Don’ts” when dealing with ice, snow, and salt on your vehicle.

Snow

-Don’t use a shovel to remove the snow from your vehicle. Even if you are careful, it is very easy to get the shovel too close to the surface of your vehicle.

Both metal and plastic shovels have hard edges, designed to scrape along the ground to remove the lowest layers of snow and ice. These edges will leave deep scratches and gouges in the surface of your vehicle.

-Do use a method and product designed for automotive snow removal. There are products on the market such as the SnoBrum, which has a foam head to do this task. The foam is specifically designed to push snow off of your vehicle without scratching or scuffing the finish. Even your arm is better than a shovel.

Ice

Ice is another wintertime problem. It does not accumulate to the same depths as snow, but just a small amount of ice can be just as problematic as a large amount of snow. Ice can also be more damaging to your vehicle and harder to remove.

-Don’t use an ice scraper on any surface other than the windows. The hard plastic is designed to scrape ice off your windows and is too aggressive to be used on your paint.

Some people use hot water to attempt to melt the ice off the car. While this may appear to work, there are two problematic side effects; the sudden change of temperature from freezing to extremely hot could cause glass to crack and shatter.

Additionally, if the temperature is still below freezing, the water falling on ground will re-freeze, leaving an ice rink where your parking space or driveway used to be.

-Do remove large chunks of ice by lifting them off with your hands. When ice is pushed off the car, the bottom of the sheet will slide along the surface, leaving fine scratches the entire length of the ice sheet.

Turning your vehicle on and letting it warm up before you drive is an effective way to slowly melt the ice off without running the risk of damaging the finish.

Salt

Snow and ice are not the only wintertime hazards that are capable of damaging your vehicle’s finish. The salt that is applied to the roads to help deal with the weather inevitably ends up on your vehicle. Salt will turn even black cars a dirty white. How you deal with this is important.

-Don’t attempt to wipe the salt off of your vehicle without properly washing it first. Salt is very abrasive and when rubbed into the finish, it will leave behind significant scratching and marring. Salt can also corrode any exposed metal, so it is essential that it be removed as quickly as possible to prevent any premature rusting.

-Do use proper methods and techniques when washing your salt covered vehicle. If you are washing your vehicle yourself, be sure to rinse the vehicle thoroughly before you begin washing.

You want to remove as much of the salt as possible to prevent it from being rubbed into the surface during the washing process. If you take your vehicle somewhere else to be cleaned, be sure to make note of their processes as well.

When going to an automatic carwash, only the touch-less kind should be used. If brushes or foam strips come into contact with your vehicle, they will be carrying all of the salt and grime that they picked up off everyone else’s vehicles.

10 Tips to Extend the Life of Your Car

Are you trying to get the most out of your car?  Here are ten tips to help you extend the life of your car.  These tips can help your car retain it's value and run for a longer amount of time.  You can learn more at msn.



Breathe Easier
Even the most mechanically challenged drivers know to change a car’s oil and oil filter on a regular basis — even if they don’t always do it. But other fluids and filters also need regular maintenance. For example, changing your air filter helps your car breathe easier and the engine last longer. “If your air filter is clogged, your engine is not performing properly,” notes Jack Nerad, editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “It also hurts your fuel economy, and it can harm the engine over the long term.”

Keep It Cool
Maintaining your car’s cooling system and the proper coolant level is as important as making sure the engine is well lubed and can potentially save you thousands of dollars in repairs. “A cooling system failure can result in your engine literally melting down,” warns Nerad. “Because of lack of proper coolant and maintenance of hoses, you can have major problems.”

Pressure Check
Tires are often the most neglected part of a car, Nerad adds. “Most people don’t pay much attention to keeping their tires at the right inflation pressure,” he says. “And it’s not only bad for the car, the tires and fuel economy, but it’s also a safety issue. The simple step of keeping the tires up to proper pressure is valuable all the way around,” he adds, “and it essentially costs almost nothing.”

Fully En-Gauged
If there is a problem with your oil pressure, cooling system or even tire pressure on the latest vehicles, your car’s gauges will tell you — if you’re paying attention to them. “The vast majority of people don’t,” remarks Nerad. “That’s why manufacturers went to ‘idiot lights’ to give a clear indication of when there’s a problem.”

Get Regular Checkups
Find a repair shop and mechanic you trust. “And let that shop service your car all the time,” says Dave Jones, owner of Jones Automotive in Green County, Pennsylvania, and co-host of the Web site AskAutoPro.com. “When you get sick you don’t go to a different doctor every time. Your doctor knows you from top to bottom, inside and out.” A good mechanic will get to know your car and look over it the same way, Jones adds.

Look Closely
Jones also suggests spending time inspecting your car. “Every now and then, take five minutes and walk around the car and look at it,” he said. Check to see if the tires are wearing unevenly. Open the hood and check out the hoses. Make sure all the lights are working. “It only takes a couple of minutes to check things like that,” he adds.

Get on a Schedule
While your owner’s manual will have a maintenance schedule, another advantage of using the same mechanics on a regular basis is they will be able to make sure you stick to the schedule — and take care of things the manual may not include. “If you go to different places each time you have your car serviced, they won’t know the last time you had something done,” says Aaron Clements, owner of C&C Automotive in Augusta, Georgia, and a 31-year auto-repair veteran. “So you may end up paying for unnecessary repairs. Most shops have electronic records so they know when each service was done. The scheduled maintenance charts in owner’s manuals tell only part of the story,” he adds. “So it’s also a benefit to have a relationship with a service advisor who knows your vehicle and when to perform service in addition to what’s in the owner’s manual.”

Drive Smarter
The way you drive has an effect on how long your car — and your gas — will last. “You not only save wear and tear by having good driving habits, but also fuel,” claims Clements. “Taking off fast and coming to a stop quickly can be bad on a car and affect the engine, the brakes and other things.”

Keep It Clean
Nerad also stresses taking care of the exterior of your car by regularly washing and waxing it. And don’t forget about the interior. “That’s an often overlooked area,” he says. “Spend time keeping it clean and clean-smelling without perfuming it, and vacuum the carpet on a regular basis. Get spills out immediately because if you don’t they’re more difficult to remove.”

Keep it Covered
Nerad also suggests storing your car in a garage or under a carport or cover. “Keep your car out of the sun,” he says. “And keep it away from bird droppings and tree sap. Also be careful where you park to avoid dings,” he adds.

Keeping your car maintained will not only make it last longer but also will make it much more pleasant to drive — which will make you want to take better care of it. “If you have a vehicle that looks good and you enjoy getting in it and driving, you’re much more prone to take care of it,” observes Clements.” And since it won’t last forever, taking care of your car will also increase the resale value. “It’s very clear on our site that condition is crucial,” says Nerad. “In real estate they say it’s all about location, location, location, but with car values it’s all about condition, condition, condition.”

7 Car Tips for Freezing Temperatures

Did you survive the Polar Vortex this week?  How did your car do?  We will have more cold weather on the way.  Here are some great tips on preparing your car for the freezing temperatures.  You can learn more at NBC.

KEEPING YOUR CAR SAFE AND RUNNING

10. If your car battery is three years old or older, it is more likely to fail as temperatures drops, according to AAA. Never attempt to charge or jump-start a battery that is frozen, as it may rupture or explode.
11. Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.
12. Make certain your tires are properly inflated.
13. Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
14. If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather.
15. Wintry weather can contribute to the deterioration of your windshield wipers. Worn blades streak and impair vision, critical during winter months. AAA says wiper blades should be replaced every year.
16. Keep your washer fluid topped-off with winter formula fluid so it won’t freeze. Many of your car’s fluids should be checked once a month.