Preparing Your Car for the Change of Season

Slushy, slippery roads, batteries squeezed for starting power.

Winter can be tough on ones car, but a blistering summer can take a toll on a vehicle too.

“A hot summer can do it too,” said Tom Willetts, owner of Northpoint Service Center in Fox Point. “You have to look at tires, batteries, charging systems and of course air conditioning.

“There are different demands for different times of the year.”

When winter rears its ugly head again, drivers will want to have batteries tested, coolant levels checked, among other things, Willetts said.

Willetts recommends different oil blends for the different seasons.

“You’ll want a lighter-weight oil in the winter and a heavier oil in the summer,” he said. "I put the heaviest oil in that won't impede starting.

"One of the biggest problems is in the winter time, if it gets down around zero, the oil in your crank case is like molasses," he said. "It is thick as can be, and it takes a tremendous amount of energy to get the battery to turn that crankshaft around in all of that goo."

The shop is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week at 8000 N. Port Washington Rd.