Getting Your Honda Ready for a Bronx Winter

Winter in The Bronx asks a lot of a car. Salted streets, freeze and thaw, potholes, and most of us parking outside all season.

The good news is that a fifteen minute check at the curb covers almost everything that matters. Here’s our service team’s list, and we’re always glad to walk through it with you.

Winter in The Bronx

Battery

Cold weather reveals a tired battery, usually on the first really cold morning.

If yours is more than three years old, it’s worth having tested before January. It takes a few minutes and it’s a good thing to know. Watch for slow cranking, headlights dimming at idle, and buildup on the terminals.

Tires

Tread matters most in winter, since wet and slush are where a worn tire works hardest.

The penny test still works. Put a penny into the tread groove with Lincoln upside down. If you can see the whole top of his head, it’s time for new tires.

Check your pressure too. It drops about one PSI for every ten degrees, so a tire that was perfect in October is low by January. Correct pressure means better handling, longer tire life, and better fuel economy all winter.

Brakes

Listen for squealing or grinding, notice if the pedal feels softer, and pay attention if the car pulls to one side when you stop. Any of those are worth having looked at rather than waiting.

Wipers and washer fluid

Blades last six to twelve months, so swap them before the first slush storm if it has been a while.

Use washer fluid rated for freezing temperatures. It keeps working when you need it most on a salty highway.

Fluids and the cabin filter

Check your coolant level and freeze rating, and check the oil. If you’re near your interval, do it before the cold sets in.

Change the cabin air filter if it has been a year. Fresh air all winter, and a clean filter helps your defroster work better too.

Road salt

Salt is the big one, and it’s also the easiest to stay ahead of.

Wash the car every few weeks through the salted months and ask for the undercarriage specifically, since a lot of washes skip it. Ten dollars a few times a winter protects a lot of car.

A Honda of The Bronx Tech on the job.

Or bring it to us

Our service department is right here on East Tremont Avenue and we’d be glad to help. Give us a call at (718) 904-0380 and we’ll let you know what we can do and when we can get you in.

Service: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Saturday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Closed Sunday. Parts: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Closed Sunday.

Thank you to our service team, who spend Bronx winters keeping this neighborhood on the road. Stay warm out there, and we’ll see you soon.

Honda of The Bronx 2541 East Tremont Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10461

New owners. New attitude. THE DEALS ARE BACK IN THE BRONX!