With winter weather approaching, here’s what drivers can do to prepare their vehicles

While Toronto hasn’t experienced a major snowfall yet this season, automotive experts are encouraging motorists to take steps now to prepare their vehicles for the winter.

Mark Bacalla, the owner and lead technician at CMB Auto Repairs in Scarborough, said his business has seen a steady stream of drivers coming in for maintenance and by mid-November, it’s expected there will be a surge in requests.

He said the biggest in-demand item in the coming weeks will involve winter tires, which poses a challenge for consumers as part of worldwide strains on the supply chain stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been difficult, very difficult to get winter tires, especially the name brand tires, different sizes out there, and it’s just getting more difficult every week as we go on,” Bacalla told CityNews, urging drivers to get their orders in as soon as possible.

“It’s getting harder and harder to get tires.”

Winter tires are recommended after the temperature drops below 7 C since the rubber that makes up all-season tires hardens, meaning it grips less to the road. When it comes to winter tires, those are designed to be more flexible and different tread patterns cut into the ice and snow better.

Aside from changing out tires, Bacalla said there are simpler things people can do at home such as topping up windshield wiper fluid, inspecting wiper blades for cracks and ripping, and checking the vehicle’s tire pressure monthly.

RELATED: Winter tire shortages emerge as COVID-19 causes production, supply issues

However, he encouraged motorists to contact their mechanics to check things such as engine coolant levels, serpentine belts and battery corrosion.

“[Serpentine belts are] very important because it’s part of the charging system, so obviously if the belt fails you wouldn’t have any charging at all in the system and it would cause your car to stall and die,” Bacalla said.

“You don’t want to get stuck in the wintertime with a bad belt or battery.”

Kaitlynn Furse, the director of communications for CAA South Central Ontario, echoed the importance of checking batteries.

“A lot of people may not think of their battery and not having it top of mind, but it’s important for people to remember that the average battery lasts three to five years only,” she told CityNews.

Furse said approximately 80 per cent of the roadside assistance company’s are for breakdown-related issues as well as running out of gas and being locked out of a vehicle.

She also emphasized drivers to keep a fully-stocked emergency roadside kit should they be stuck at the side of the road.

Recommended items for your roadside emergency kit

Furse recommended including these items in a vehicle’s emergency kit:

– A basic first aid kit
– Hand and foot warmers
– Emergency blanket
– Multipurpose tools such as lights with other functionalities
– Flashlight
– Flares
– Pylons
– Scraper
– Small shovel
– Booster cables (although she said it’s not ideal to boost vehicles with those cables due to more complex electronics in vehicles)
– Non-perishable snacks
– Water