How To Prepare Your Vehicle For Winter In Portland, OR

 

Is Your MINI Car Ready For Winter?
With winter coming, driving to family holiday events becomes a necessity again. Despite the fact Portland, OR usually has mild winters, it's still a good practice to make a few winter checks to get ready for the changing weather. Completing these vehicle checks will make sure your MINI runs at its best and helps you avoid getting stranded on the road.

Check Tires For Winter
  • Check your tires for uneven tread wear and optimal tire pressure. 
  • If any of the tires are low in air, refill appropriately and keep track of the tire to make sure you don't have a small air leak. 
  • If your MINI vehicle has low tire tread, you should consider replacing your tires before winter.
  • All-season tires should suffice in most locations. In case you're in an area that receives a great deal of snow, winter tires are recommended. 
  • Winter tires have tread patterns and rubber compounds built to grip ice and snow; they also tend to have a shorter tread life.
Complete An Auto Fluid Check
  • Check your oil and oil levels. If it is low or if it's been 5,000 miles since your last oil change, consider changing your oil. 
  • Common winter multi-viscosity oils to use are 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30.
  • Check your anti-freeze levels. If you're refilling, try to keep a 50/50 ratio of water and antifreeze; this keeps the coolant from freezing.
  • Examine your car's windshield washer fluid. If it's low, refill it.
Test Car Battery Power Levels
  • If the battery is low, you can attempt charging it, but make sure the battery holds a charge. 
  • Low temperatures automatically reduces battery cranking power, which means you want to make sure the battery is fully charged during cold weather.
  • Check battery terminals for any corrosion. When there is corrosion on the terminals, clean them thoroughly.
  • Check battery fluid level. If the fluid is low, you can add distilled water. 
  • Generally if the battery is more than 5 years old and shows signs of weakness, MINI of Portland suggests replacing the battery with a new one.

Showroom Hours

  • Mon 9:00AM-7:00PM
  • Tues 9:00AM-7:00PM
  • Wed 9:00AM-7:00PM
  • Thurs 9:00AM-7:00PM
  • Fri 9:00AM-7:00PM
  • Sat 9:00AM-7:00PM
  • Sun 10:00AM-6:00PM

Service Hours

  • Mon 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Tues 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Wed 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Thurs 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Fri 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Sat 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Sun Closed

Parts Hours

  • Mon 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Tues 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Wed 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Thurs 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Fri 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Sat 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Sun Closed