With our long, dry summer, fall rains and winter ice are likely the farthest thing from your mind, but September’s arrival means a weather change is on the horizon.
Are you ready?
With back to school, work and busy fall schedules also here, NOW is the time to prepare your vehicle for safe winter driving, says Andrew Morrison, with Harbourview Volkswagen, family owned and operated in Nanaimo for 35 years.
What should you think about as the calendar changes? Service manager Jessica Davidson, a 12-year Harbourview team member, and parts manager Ron Young, with the dealership since it opened its doors 35 years ago, offer their safe-driving essentials.
1. Tire check – When fall rains do arrive, roads will be slick. And with more people on the road, especially around school and work hours, tires that grip the road – and stop when you need them too! – are crucial. To help drivers know exactly how their tires are faring, Harbourview’s recent green renovations included a special drive-through diagnostic bay that quickly evaluates tire tread life and wheel alignment.
Once temperatures drop below 7°C, winter tires are your best bet, specifically designed to improve vehicle handling and your ability to stop safely. And just like your hardware store snow shovel, it’s best to buy them BEFORE the first sign of the white stuff!
2. Brake check – While good tires are the first part of the safety equation, they won’t help you stop if your brakes fail. After a summer of long, dusty roadtrips, a safety check will ensure your brakes will let you stop when and where you need to.
3. Oil change and mechanical check – If early-morning hockey practice and weekend band trips are part of your fall routine, feel confident your family “taxi” will get everyone there safely, with preventive maintenance by Harbourview’s factory-trained technicians. After all, even your washer fluid running dry on the Island Highway can quickly create a visibility nightmare.
Not only are state-of-the-art service bays a cornerstone of Harbourview VW’s new green facility, which also includes a rooftop solar farm, but customers also feel good about the dealership’s in-house repurposing of all used engine oil – no waste oil leaves the building, Morrison notes.
(Plus, their drive-through service bays mean you stay warm and dry when dropping off your vehicle.)
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Nanaimo’s Harbourview Volkswagen is the Central Island’s premier location for a new Volkswagen or pre-owned car. New cars in stock include the Golf, Beetle, SportWagen, Passat, Jetta, Atlas, Tiguan and Touareg.