3 Critical Areas to Check Before Winter
Winter is coming. And while you may be ready with a warm jacket, an emergency coffee supply, and enough snacks to survive a small apocalypse, is your truck ready?
Cold weather has a way of exposing problems that were easy to ignore when the temperatures were comfortable. A truck that handled summer without a complaint can suddenly decide that 20 degrees is the perfect time to develop a problem.
Before the first real freeze hits, give your truck some attention—especially these three areas: axles, coolant, and heater systems.
1. Check Those Axles Before They Get Cold Feet
Your axles spend every mile doing some serious heavy lifting. Winter adds another challenge with freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and road salt.
Before winter, have your technician inspect the axle assemblies for:
- Leaks around seals and housings
- Proper fluid levels and condition
- Signs of wear or damage
- Loose or damaged components
- Differential issues
Why does it matter? Low or contaminated axle lubricant can lead to increased friction and wear and nobody wants an axle problem when they’re 300 miles from home and the nearest repair shop is basically a gas station with a questionable air pump.
Bottom line: A quick inspection now can help prevent a much bigger and much more expensive problem later.
2. Coolant: Because Your Engine Doesn’t Like Being an Ice Cube
Coolant does more than keep your engine from overheating. During winter, it also protects the cooling system from freezing and helps prevent corrosion and component damage.
Before the temperature drops, make sure your cooling system gets checked for:
- Proper coolant level
- Correct coolant concentration
- Freeze protection
- Leaks
- Hoses and connections
- Condition of the coolant
Don’t assume that because there’s coolant in the reservoir, everything is good to go. The mixture needs to provide adequate freeze protection for the conditions you’ll be driving in.
And if you’re thinking, “I’ll just top it off and call it good,” your truck would like to remind you that maintenance shortcuts have a funny way of becoming roadside emergencies.
3. Make Sure Your Heater Actually Heats
There’s nothing quite like discovering your heater doesn’t work when you’re three hours into a freezing morning drive.
Your truck’s heating system isn’t just about comfort. A properly functioning heater and defroster are important for driver visibility and safety.
Have your technician inspect:
- Heater hoses
- Heater core
- Blower motor
- Thermostat
- Cabin air filters
- Defroster operation
- Coolant flow through the heating system
And yes, test that defroster before winter not after your windshield has already turned into an ice sculpture.
4. Battery Checks: Don’t Let a Weak Battery Ruin Your Morning
Cold weather is tough on batteries. As temperatures fall, they have to work harder just as the engine needs more power to crank. A truck that starts fine on a warm afternoon can leave you stranded on a freezing morning, which means a no-start, a service call, and lost driver time.
Don’t wait for that first cold morning. Test your batteries now, especially older ones, trucks with slow-cranking complaints, and units that sit parked for long stretches. And look beyond the battery itself, because corroded or loose terminals and cables, or a weak alternator, can make a good battery act like a bad one. Today’s trucks also carry telematics, inverters, and other electronics that can drain batteries while parked, so have your technician check for excessive key-off draws.
Have your technician:
- Test battery condition and starting capacity
- Inspect terminals, cables, and connections for corrosion or damage
- Verify charging system performance
- Check for excessive key-off electrical draws
- Review battery age and condition
And be ready for the unexpected. Vanguard Truck Centers Parts Departments sell heavy-duty jump boxes compatible with both 12V and 24V systems, including the 24-volt architecture on Volvo’s new VNL. Keep one at your shop, yard, or service vehicle, and a dead battery becomes a small interruption instead of a long delay.
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
Winter truck maintenance isn’t about predicting exactly what Mother Nature is going to throw at you. It’s about making sure your truck is prepared for whatever she decides to throw your way.
Schedule your pre-winter service before the cold weather arrives, because the best time to find out your truck has a problem isn’t when you’re sitting on the side of a frozen highway.
Get ahead of winter. Get your truck serviced. Keep rolling.
Find the Vanguard Truck Centers location nearest you and request a service appointment today.
