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Get your vehicle ready for winter

How to winterize your car

It's that time of year again for us here in the Midwest when taking our vehicle out becomes less of a joy and more of a nerve-wracking necessity. That said, the Wisconsin and Illinois winter ahead of us doesn't need to be as dreadful as we may be making it out to be. Sure, it'll be cold and potentially unpleasant, but with a little planning you'll be able to make the most of your circumstances and feel like you're on top of your game. Today we're going to offer some of our top tips for how to winterize your car so that being out on the road is a safer and less stressful endeavor during the chilly months ahead.  1. One thing that's easy to do here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac, if you'd like, is to have a winter check-up performed. What we'll do is go in and look at the various systems, in particular those fluids, belts, hoses, and battery, to make sure everything's running smoothly and ready to take on winter. Check out our coupons page for the most recent service deals. 2. Check your heating and defrosting systems. These are the types of things you don't want to get caught without while you're out and about, so test these systems early in the season. Have a friend help you check all of your lights as well to make sure everything's working properly for maximum visibility (a huge part of safe winter driving). 3. Tires, tires, tires. From tread to proper inflation, your tires play a major role in your winter driving safety. Whether or not you think you're due for a new set, definitely make sure your tires are in great working order before the major ice and snow is upon us. As far as pressure, make sure you're checking on that regularly, even if you have a tire pressure monitoring system built in to your vehicle. 4. Finally, make sure you've got an emergency kit in your vehicle that includes a charging method for your phone, extra warm clothes, rock salt or cat litter, jumper cables, and flares.
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