When rains or around the corner precautions need to be taken to reinforce your vehicle to face the downpour, muddy and slippery roads, potholes, low visibility, fallen trees, fallen powerlines and various other disruptions that make driving precarious. This is because most accidents and mishaps are seen when it’s raining than when not. We scouted around for Bakersfield car dealerships to learn where we could get our vehicles ready with the works to prepare for the rains and on the side, gather a few tips and safety rules to follow while driving in the rain from the experts there.
The Mandatory Once Over
This is one of the first safety rule you would want to follow when you start preparing for the upcoming rains you get to know of. You need to take your car for a general inspection to the nearest service center or dealer who will give it a mandatory once over checking out any potential issues. Quite often the good fellows wont charge you for this. While on the job, you might want to think of oil-changes, flushing of the coolant, a raincheck on the air-conditioning and a rotation of the tires. This will ready you and probably prevent any mishaps while you drive in the rain. You wouldn’t want your AC to conk out on you while you have your windows up in the rain, do you? Vehicles also tend to overheat when driving in the rain as you frequently shift gears and step on the pedal and hence a coolant flush will take care of overheating to a great extent. Needless to say, oil change at this juncture makes sure the oil pipes are cleared of deposits and keep your vehicle running smooth. Rotating the tires is merely an exercise you would anyway want to do once in a while, and this is a good time as it also gives you a chance to look at all sides and take care of minor blisters and cuts while you are at it. Brakes also need tightening and lubrication.
Replace Cracked / Chipped Windshields
Cracked or chipped windshields would get you on the wrong side of the law anyway and its extremely dangerous to drive around with one. Windshields need to be speck less and clean for a safe drive in the rain to insure good visibility. Check to see your washer tank is refilled with detergent or washer fluid with the right additives and effervescent solutions. Small chips in the windshield can be taken care of using over the counter solutions and special tapes, but anything beyond a 5-6mm chip or hole with a web or crack needs professional attention. If the cracks are larger or you observe the wide spreading around a chip or crack, its time to replace your windshield altogether.
Pay Attention to the Wipers
Windshield wipers need just as much attention to make sure you are driving safe in the rain. Our preferred car dealer near Bakersfield suggested making sure that wipers are working flawlessly and clear of oil, grime and dust. Modern vehicles from VW come with Rain Sensing Variable Intermittent Wipers that take care of this for you as you focus on your safe driving.
