While we don’t get the extreme winter weather around Tracy that other parts of the country do, we still get our share of colder temperatures and rain in the winter months. As we approach the Christmas holidays and our temperatures start dropping, it’s time to think about getting your Ford truck, SUV or sedan ready for winter. Here are some of the helpful services we offer in the service center at Heritage Ford to help get your car ready for winter.
#1: Consider getting a new set of tires
With more rain during winter months, the roads around Manteca can become more slippery and the quality of your tires becomes more critical to your safety. We'll be happy to give you a professional inspection of all four tires to make sure they're ready for roads that can be slicker in the coming months. If you have anything less than 4/32nds of an inch worth of tread depth, we'll recommend a new set of tires to help keep you and your family safe this winter.
#2: Get a wheel alignment
Whether or not you get new tires, it's important that your wheels are properly aligned. You can knock your wheels out of alignment simply by hitting a pothole or running into a curb a little too hard. Ask us to do an alignment check to see if your wheels are aligned correctly. If they're not, your steering won't be as accurate and that can be hazardous on slippery winter roads. We'll be happy to give you a professional wheel alignment to help your Ford F-150 or Ford Explorer get back on track for winter.
#3: Get your brakes checked
The condition of your brakes becomes an even more critical factor when the weather turns colder and we start getting more rain on Ceres highways. If you notice a squeaking sound every time you step on the brake pedal, that's an indication that your brake pads may be wearing out. We can give your brakes an inspection and if you need new pads, we can handle that for you. We can also replace your brake rotors if necessary to be sure your brakes are performing at their best as we head into winter months.
#4: Have us check your battery
A battery needs to be strong and powerful in order to get through the colder months of winter. If the battery in your Ford has been in place for a while, the chances are it’s been gradually losing power over that period of time. The problem is, your battery doesn't give you any audible signal that it's starting to wear out the way your brakes do. That's why it's important to ask us to do a load test on your battery to see if it has enough juice to start your vehicle reliably as winter temperatures start falling. If you need a new battery, we have plenty of good ones in stock and we'll be happy to install one for you.
#5: Let us check your fluid levels
If it's been a while since you've had an oil change, you might be running low on motor oil and that's not good for your engine. It makes sense to get your oil changed every 5,000 miles even with today's more advanced synthetic motor oils. As we approach the winter, you'll want to have plenty of wiper fluid to help keep your windshield clean even in rainy weather around Ripon. We'll be happy to check the amount of fluid in your windshield wiper reservoir and make sure you have enough to safely clean your windshield.
See for a winter checkup
We encourage you to reach out online or by phone to schedule an appointment in our service center so you can get your Ford properly weatherized. We can make sure your Ford is ready for winter at Heritage Ford in Modesto, CA.