Get Revved Up For Fall Car Care

With the hustle and bustle of the fall season, maintaining a vehicle’s brakes and battery may not be at the top of most drivers’ to-do lists. As a way to celebrate the beginning of fall, Firestone Complete Auto Care™ is providing tips to help drivers maintain their vehicles’ brakes and batteries to help avoid potentially dangerous problems.

Check your brake fluid. There are only a few cups of brake fluid in a vehicle’s system. If there isn’t enough brake fluid in the reservoir, air might end up in the brake lines, which will affect a vehicle’s ability to stop. If the brake fluid level is low, see a local automotive technician.

Practice safe driving habits. Accelerating quickly and stopping abruptly can prematurely wear a vehicle’s engine, transmission, tires and brakes.

Don’t ride your brakes. When descending on steep inclines, switch to a lower gear instead of riding the brakes, which can overheat the brake pads and cause damage.

There are special rules for hybrids. Allowing a hybrid vehicle to idle on start up causes the high voltage battery pack to lose some of its power. Begin driving the hybrid immediately after turning on the ignition. Also, the electric motor in hybrid cars acts like a generator, and uses some of the energy while slowing the vehicle. When stopping abruptly, the brakes do the work and the energy is wasted.

Be prepared for anything. Always have an emergency kit equipped with jumper cables stored in the vehicle, just in case a dead battery or trouble on the road occurs.

Schedule an annual vehicle check-up. As the cold weather approaches, it’s important to have a vehicle’s battery cables and terminals inspected by a professional technician to make sure they’re not corroded.