PRESS & DAKOTAN n THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012 PAGE 13

They can do damage to your auto. Stop in for a hassle free estimate!

It’s Hunting Season Large or Small

2806 Fox Run Pkwy., Yankton, SD 57078

665-3929 J ustra’s J ustra’s J ustra’s

Body Shop

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605-665-9012toll free 1-877-ferdigs (337-3447)

220 East 3rd St., Yankton, SD 57078 (Former Expert Tire Building)CHRIS & LIBBY FERDIG

L o c a l l y o w n e d & O p e r a t e d

• Windshield Repair & Replacement

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Easy, Direct Billing Available Installed by Certified Technicians Always on Staff

RON EVANS, OWNER 1915 Broadway • Yankton, SD (Next to Dairy Queen) 605-665-9841

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If you think a car wash is onlyfor sunny summer days, thinkagain. Washing a car in the wintermonths can help it operate atpeak capacity despite harshweather.

People take different tacticswhen it comes to washing theircars. Some prefer to hand washtheir vehicles, taking care toprimp and polish. While thismight be easy when it is warmoutside, cold weather can quicklyzap ambition and actually make itdownright painful to do so. Also,environmental experts tend tofrown upon washing the car in thedriveway because of the waterwaste and chemical detergentsrunning into storm sewers. Com-

mercial car washes recycle and fil-ter their water.

Preventative car care is espe-cially important when the coldweather sets in. The road addi-tives — such as salt and sand —can wreak havoc on a car’s paint,corrode the undercarriage of thevehicle and potentially rust thewheel wells. Keeping the car cleanand waxed can protect the finishand help protect againstscratches and marring from anywinter road debris.

Car corrosion damage is espe-cially common during the wintermonths. Prevention remains thebest solution to corrosion, and acar wash is a preventative meas-ure that takes little effort.

Automatic car washes are aconvenient way to clean a vehiclein the winter. However, these facil-ities tend to use harsh chemicalsthat eat through debris. This canresult in swirling patterns andspotting on some cars. An alterna-tive is to head to one of the self-wash carwash bays and bringalong your own products or relyon theirs so that you will have ahigh-powered water supply forrinsing. Even if you cannot do thecleaning job you would in thewarmer weather, rinsing some ofthe salt and grime from the car, ex-pecially underneath, can go a longway toward preventing corrosion.

Before the snowy season setsin, it’s a good idea to do a thor-

ough washing of the car and applya new coat of a high-quality wax.The wax will serve as an extra bar-rier against grime.

Before and after washing thecar when it’s below freezing, it’sadviseable to use a de-icing prod-uct on the doors and windows. Ifnot, the windows might get stuck.

Washing a car in a cold climateis not something many peopleenjoy, but it’s a good way to keepa car running strong and lookinggood.

Snowy weather can be a timefor fun, especially for avid skiersor children who relish spendingdays off from school tossing snow-balls and building snow forts.Many adults, however, do not lookforward to the snow as much asyoungsters do. Snow can be haz-ardous when driving, but puttingsnow tires on a vehicle can im-prove vehicle safety.

According to information fromthe National Highway TrafficSafety Administration, roughly 115people die every day in vehiclecrashes in the United States. Eachwinter, snowfall compoundstreacherous road conditions, in-creasing the risk of accidents.

It is important to know how todrive when weather conditionsare dangerous. It is also wise tooutfit a vehicle to reduce its riskof slipping and sliding on icy,snowy roads. Here are some tipsto follow.

* Limit time spent driving inthe snow. Avoid driving duringsnowstorms or directly afterwhenever possible. Snow not onlymakes roads slick, but fallingflakes can impair a driver’s visibil-ity and reduce his or her responsetime. Try to wait until snow-clear-ing teams have salted, plowed andsanded roads before venturingout.

* Be sure you can see clearly.Clear off the snow from the wind-shield, side mirrors and windowsso it does not compromise yourview. Also, top off the windshieldfluid so you will be able to clearsnow and salt kick-up from yourwindshield. Look for a washerfluid that has an antifreeze compo-nent, otherwise, your washer jetsand wiper blades could be ren-dered useless.

* Drive slowly. Reduce yourspeed when driving in inclementweather. It can be more difficult tostop or maneuver around a poten-tial obstacle when conditions areless than ideal. Traveling at a highspeed will increase the risk of ac-

cidents.* Leave enough room between

you and other motorists. Tailgat-ing is responsible for many acci-dents, even when there is no snowon the ground. In inclementweather, it can take longer to slowor stop the car after pressing onthe brakes. Having an additionalspace between your car and theone in front of you helps youavoid a collision.

* Be aware of black ice. Blackice gets its name from its veritableinvisibility. It is so thin and hard tospot, it just looks like the black as-phalt of the road. Black ice tendsto form in areas that have hadsnow or ice melt, which then re-freezes at night when tempera-tures drop. Be extra cautious onturns and on highway exit and en-trance ramps, where black ice fre-quently forms.

* Steer your car into the skid.Remain calm and do not panic andjam on the brakes if your carstarts to skid. Slamming on thebrakes will only exacerbate theskid. Rather, take your foot off theaccelerator, allowing the car tonaturally slow down as you turnyour wheels into the direction thecar is skidding. This should helpright the car and get you back ontrack.

* Invest in snow tires. Thosewho live in especially snowy cli-mates and do a lot of drivingwould be wise to purchase snow

tires. Snow tires, also called win-ter tires, have special tread pat-terns that offer better traction insnow and ice. They also are madefrom softer rubber compoundsthan regular tires that retain theirflexibility in cold weather, allowingthe tire to conform to the surfaceof the road. Although many vehi-cles come with technology to pre-vent accidents, they cannot dotheir jobs if tires are not maintain-ing their grip on the road.

All-season tires are not a re-placement for snow tires. All-sea-son tires are designed to work inall sorts of conditions, from rainyweather to dry roads. Therefore,it is better to invest in a set ofsnow tires that will offer you bet-ter protection. When putting snowtires on a car or truck, be sure todo so on all the wheels — not justthe driving wheels. Otherwise youmay still risk spin outs or unevengripping of the road.

It is not a good idea to keepsnow tires on all year. Becausethey are softer, snow tires tend tobe more noisy and can wear outfaster in warmer weather. There-fore, switch out the tires at the be-ginning of the snowy season andthen before the spring arrivesanew.

(MS) — The average age ofa personal vehicle on the roadtoday is more than 11 years,according to recent news re-ports. In tough economictimes, it’s natural to rein inspending. But the experts atthe nonprofit National Insti-tute for Automotive ServiceExcellence (ASE) warn thatputting off routine auto main-tenance or ignoring service in-tervals is false economy. Smallissues can morph into moreexpensive repairs. For exam-ple, failure to replace wornbrake pads or a faulty oxygensensor — both relatively easyservices for qualified auto techni-cians — can result in expensivebrake rotor service or costly re-placement of the vehicle’s cat-alytic converter.

Frequently neglected items in-clude oil changes, tire and brakeservice, wheel alignment, air andfuel filters, and transmission serv-ice, according to ASE-certifiedauto technicians.

Besides, a well-maintained ve-hicle gets better gasoline mileage,pollutes less, is safer to operate,and lasts longer than one that’sneglected, notes ASE.

To help consumers choose arepair shop that fits their needs,

ASE offers the following checklist:* Look for a neat, well-orga-

nized facility, with vehicles in theparking lot equal in value to yourown and modern equipment in theservice bays.

* Look for a courteous staff,with a service consultant willingto answer all of your questions.

* Look for policies regardingestimated repair costs, diagnosticfees, guarantees, and acceptablemethods of payment.

* Ask if the repair facility spe-cializes or if it usually handlesyour type of repair work.

* Look for signs of profession-alism in the customer service

area, such as civic, com-munity, or customerservice awards.

* Look for evidence ofqualified technicians:trade school diplomas,certificates of advancedcourse work, and certifi-cation by ASE.

* Look for the ASEsign or logo; it means theshop employs nationallycertified technicians.

The National Institutefor Automotive ServiceExcellence (ASE) wasfounded in 1972 as a non-profit, independent or-

ganization dedicated to improving the

quality of automotive service andrepair

through the voluntary testingand certification of automotivetechnicians.

ASE-certified technicians wearblue and white ASE shoulder in-signia and carry credentials listingtheir exact areas of certification.Their employers often display theblue and white ASE sign. Visitwww.ase.com for seasonal carcare advice and more.

It’s essential to wash away road salt and other grime of the cold-weather season. Otherwise, drivers risk damage to the car’s enameland corrosion of its undercarriage.

Cars need washing in winter, too

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M.T. & R.C. SMITH INSURANC E, Inc. 204 West 4th, Yankton, SD 57078 • 605-665-3611

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Advice from the Pros: Do Not Neglect Auto Service

How to stay safe on winter roads

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Yankton • 665-3549

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