October is National Car Care Awareness month. I’m not sure how many of you already know that. Additionally October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, National Disability Employment Awareness month, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and National Cyber Security Awareness month, to name just a few others.

The apparent theme here is that October is a natural month for awareness. As I reflect upon that, the timing makes sense. We have just settled down from our busyness of summer vacations and getting back to school. The days are getting dark earlier and the weather is definitely getting cooler. We need to begin to prepare for winter.

Your car has also probably had a busy summer, transporting you to places far beyond, and working in high heat in the stress of Atlanta traffic. It is time to give your car an annual check-up.

Most service centers offer a free vehicle maintenance inspection during October. This is a great opportunity to confirm the reliability of your vehicle.

If you drive a 6-8 year old vehicle, your engine probably uses traditional engine coolant, or anti-freeze. Engine coolant protects against freezing, but it also protects against internal engine corrosion. Just imagine an iron pot that is brought to boiling twice a day. What would that water and that pot look like after a year of heating and reheating if it was never cleaned?

Traditional engine coolant, green colored coolant, should be replaced every 24 months or 30,000 miles. Most vehicles 1999 and older use traditional coolant, and probably half of the vehicles up through 2002.

If you drive a 2003 or newer vehicle your engine probably uses an extended life coolant. These coolants may be yellow, orange, blue, or red in color. Extended life coolants have a different chemical composition than traditional coolant. Extended life coolant is designed to last without change for the first 100,000 miles, and then every manufacturer recommends replacement every 50,000 miles thereafter.

A very important item to consider is the condition of your battery. Cold weather reduces the available power of any battery by 50%, and increases the amount of electrical energy required to crank the engine. Most batteries stay at full power for 3 years and then begin to loose cranking capacity. Have your battery tested to prevent getting stranded with a dead battery.

Do not wait to hear your engine cranking slower than usual. Changes in battery design have resulted in very few batteries giving you that old fashioned warning of slow cranking. New batteries usually fail without any warning. The car starts fine one moment, then you shut it off for 10 minutes or a few hours and it won’t crank at all. An electronic test of your battery will indicate if you are reaching that point in the battery’s life.

Another service that can help your engine start quicker in cooler weather and even improve your fuel economy is an Air Induction System cleaning. The air induction system is the path of the fresh air from the air filter to the intake valves in the engine. This system builds up with a black gummy substance. These gummy deposits make the engine crank and crank for a longer time before starting, they reduce acceleration, and they reduce fuel economy. The Air Induction cleaning removes these deposits.

Lastly, the vehicle inspection will also inform you of the condition of your tires and brakes, belts and hoses, and other systems.

Brian Klaubert has written for the Neighborhood News for six years, and owns Christian Brothers Automotive – Hamilton Mill on Braselton Hwy in Dacula. They have been voted Best of Gwinnett in both the Gwinnett Daily Post and Gwinnett Magazine.