Autumn weather brings out commonalities in people: hearty appetites and the need to make sure our vehicles are prepped for winter's upcoming onslaught. Regarding appetites, my business partner and I noticed it once we changed our catering menus to reflect harvest season. What are your favorite fall recipes? Besides striking the perfect fuel/air mixture in one of my old carburetors, I'm partial to Italian.... but that's another story. Regarding maintenance for a car, yet again, we’re booked solid. From office parties to the high school’s annual Senior Breakfast, we’ll be on the road, complete with the best windshield wipers guiding our way during the worst weather. Naturally, our catering truck goes through traditional winter maintenance so none of our clients go hungry.
We always include Advance Auto Parts free services as part of our truck’s winter maintenance check-up. Maintenance for a car or truck includes the most optimal windshield wipers keeping things clean and clear. This time of year, investing in a new pair of the best windshield wipers is a must; Advance will even install them for free with purchase. Same goes for when you buy a new battery, making your maintenance for a car ritual easier. They offer free electrical system checks, too. This form of maintenance for a car helps pinpoint possible future trouble spots. Avoid roadside pitfalls — conduct winter maintenance repairs.
Keeping trays of food and beverage unscathed between our shop kitchen and each destination is a must, so our truck’s shocks must be in perfect order. These shortened days mean extra dependence on the truck’s headlights.
Don’t be like us when we were driving back from a catering gig recently: one headlight went out, cops issued us a fix-it ticket. Now, in between changes, we keep the light quality bright and strong by using a headlight restoration kit. It spares us from prematurely replacing yellow, hazy headlights, the result of many catering drives, especially in inclement weather. Incorporating this system as part of our winter maintenance repairs, plus using the right windshield wipers, keeps us safe on the road by improving visibility.
Keeping the truck looking good on the outside is also vital. For this, we always keep certain prep products on hand. They ensure our truck continues to advertise our business with a clean, sharp presentation. But enough of winter maintenance talk. And more on that upcoming High School Senior Breakfast gig. We have kids in that group and decided to do a gourmet breakfast with all the trimmings just for the seniors, our gift to the Class of 2014. Go Mustangs! Now that your stomach is rumbling, I wanted to leave you with a parting thought for your car. By checking into a few basic things before winter fully kicks in, you will help ensure that your family stays safe on the road this season.
Editor's note: Rely on Advance Auto Parts for the best in service, selection and helpful store services. Buy online, pick up in store. Advance free services available for most vehicles, at most locations, except where prohibited by law.
Graphic courtesy of The Berry.
