You may have noticed the chill in the air, the increase in rainfall, the leaves are mostly down, the sales ads have increased and the Christmas lights are going up. Yes, winter is here.

Around this time of year people start calling to make appointments to winterize their cars. Other people think maybe they should winterize their car but are not sure what that really means, still for others, it's never crossed their minds.

What exactly does winterizing mean?

For many of us, holiday times mean travel time and trips to see family. A good service shop's main goal is for your holiday travels to go well with no surprises and for your car to start correctly each cold morning.

Winterizing is our way of meeting those goals. The main items to be checked prior to colder weather are: the car's battery, the anti-freeze, tire pressures, braking system, wiper blades, washer fluid and all exterior lights.

A full winterizing service should include performing a load test and a specific gravity test on the battery.

Most electronic battery testers will test the battery under load but a separate tool called a hydrometer is needed to test the specific gravity. The specific gravity test determines the amount of active ingredient in the battery. If the specific gravity is out of specification, the battery will need to be replaced.

The battery cables and terminals should also be checked and serviced as needed to ensure there is no corrosion built up.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no connection between the car's coolant system and the air conditioning, these are two separate systems. The coolant (or anti-freeze) system, which keeps the engine cool, should be tested for any leaks and the freezing level of the coolant should be tested.

The radiator cap should also be tested to verify the cap is holding pressure and the seal is good. There is rust inhibitors in the anti-freeze designed to keep the metal components of the coolant system such as the water pump, radiator and others from rusting and leaking. These inhibitors break down over time, therefore the standard recommendation is to replace coolant every two years. Some cars have long-life coolant which is designed to be serviced every four to five years.

The tires should be inspected to ensure the tread remaining meets minimum requirements, there are no weather cracks, bulges, split belts or other concerns. The air pressure should be checked and set to specifications.

At the same time, the brakes should be inspected for any worn out pads, warped rotors, or concerns with the anti-lock brake system. If there is an ABS light or traction control light on, that would indicate the anti-lock braking system is not operating correctly and should be diagnosed.

Last but not least, the wiper blades should be inspected and replaced yearly. The washer fluid should be filled and tested. All exterior lights should be checked to make sure they are working correctly.

Hope this helps for better understanding of winterizing, please call with any questions and see our ad in the West Seattle Community shopper for our winterizing package.

Questions? Post comments here or contact Ridge McCoy, service manager at Alki Auto Repair, at ridgealkiauto@comcast.net or 935-8059.