How to Prepare Your Car for Fall

When temperatures start to get cooler and days begin to get shorter, it’s a good time to do some basic maintenance on your vehicle to prepare for changes in the weather and any inclement driving conditions ahead. Routine maintenance like cleaning your vehicle, inspecting your tires, and inspecting or changing your wiper blades can make a big difference in your driving comfort and confidence this season. Having your battery tested, ensuring your heating and air conditioning systems are working properly, and some other basic maintenance tasks can help prevent unsafe or inconvenient conditions as the seasons begin to change.

Having the right products to check off your fall maintenance list can make fall preparation tasks quicker and easier to complete, and can improve your driving experience all season long. At O’Reilly Auto Parts®, we carry a variety of seasonal service supplies to help you complete your to-do list in no time. After you find the products you need, visit our helpful How-To Hub to find step-by-step articles and videos to guide you on your fall maintenance journey. Our Professional Parts People™ are dedicated to helping you find all of the products you need, and even offer a variety of free store services to make sure you’re prepared, no matter the season. If you’re not completely comfortable doing these types of jobs yourself, we’d also be happy to recommend a professional technician in your area.

As summer comes to a close and the leaves begin to change, it is important to take advantage of the few warmer fall days before winter. Simple car maintenance starts with cleaning the interior and exterior of your car. You have likely used your vehicle a lot over the summer and may have even gone on a few outdoor adventures, so now’s a great time to dust, vacuum, clean the windows, and wipe down the consoles, armrests, seats, and steering wheel. A good wash and wax will also help protect your vehicle’s exterior finishes from any weather you might experience in the coming months.

At O’Reilly Auto Parts, we carry a full line of interior and exterior vehicle detailing products to make your seasonal scrubbing quick and easy. From interior wipes, spray cleaners, and towels to exterior wax, car wash soaps, and polishes, we carry the seasonal cleaning supplies you need to get your vehicle ready for the chilly days ahead.

Fall weather can be unpredictable, but making sure your tires are prepared for colder conditions can help keep you on the road in even the worst fall and winter weather. Checking your tires before driving in fall and winter weather can help you be certain you can maintain traction and drive safely. Be sure to look not only at the tread, but also at your tire pressure, to make sure your tires are at the inflation level recommended by the manufacturer.

To check tire inspections off your autumn maintenance list, shop our helpful products like tire sealants, pressure gauges, portable tire inflators, and air compressors. Healthy tires could mean the difference between staying on the road and an accident, so learn more about how to perform a tire inspection and why tire pressure is lower in the winter with our helpful How-To resources.

As daylight grows shorter and sunny days are fewer and farther between, it is important to make sure your car’s exterior lights are working properly. Get a partner to help you check all the exterior lights on your vehicle, including the headlights (high- and low-beams), tail lights, turn signals, running lights, hazard lights, brake lights, and any auxiliary fog lights or light bars you might have. If you notice any dim or burnt-out bulbs, visit your local O’Reilly Auto Parts to find all of the lighting products you need. To be prepared this fall, always replace headlights in pairs to ensure they perform at their best for as long as possible.

Fall and winter often mean you are going to be driving in the dark more often. Bright and visible exterior lights are essential to seeing the road and allowing other drivers to see you. If it is time to replace your headlight bulbs this fall, our Professional Parts People can help you mark that item off your checklist by installing most bulbs for free when purchased from an O'Reilly store (not including hard-to-access bulbs or cases where extensive disassembly is required). You can also learn more about how to replace headlight bulbs yourself with our helpful article and video.

With fall comes increased chances for snow and ice in a lot of areas. Making sure your wiper blades are ready for the seasons to change can help increase your safety on the road.

It’s recommended that you change your wiper blades about every six months. This is partly because spring and fall occur roughly six months apart, but this also ensures you have fresh wiper blades as you head into seasons where inclement weather is common. So if your old wiper blades are streaking or smearing, cracking or splitting, or showing other signs of wear, new wipers can make navigating this season that much easier.

Finding the best products to be prepared for the weather ahead can make checking off your maintenance list a simpler task this fall. At O’Reilly Auto Parts, we carry a variety of specialty and all-weather blades, as well as wiper system components for most vehicles. Learn how to replace wiper blades yourself, or visit your local O’Reilly Auto Parts store and ask about free wiper installation.

After running your air conditioner all summer, preparing to turn on your heat in the colder months means inspecting your vehicle's heating and air conditioning systems before fall and winter start. Turn on your defroster and heater to make sure you’re not only getting a good stream of air, but that the air from the heater is adequately warm. Though it may seem odd to test your air conditioner as the temperatures drop, it actually helps your defroster work better by reducing humidity from the incoming air before it reaches the vents. It’s common for windows to fog up or ice over as temperatures steadily get cooler, so taking the time to test your heating and air conditioning can ensure a safer and more comfortable driving experience this season.

You should also take this time to inspect or change the cabin air filter if your vehicle is equipped with one to maintain clean airflow through the cold seasons. Cabin air filters are typically replaced annually, but can be changed as often as needed if you frequently drive in dusty environments and the filter begins to clog. Completing this maintenance is easy with all of the products you need at O’Reilly Auto Parts. From cabin air filters and heater cores to blower motors and heater hoses, we have the parts you need to stay warm as the days grow colder.

Fall is a great time to begin preparing for colder months. Before winter sets in, have your battery tested to make sure it’s got the power and capacity to keep you going all season long.

Believe it or not, it’s the heat of summer that causes batteries to wear out. The weakness of the battery can be exposed when the cold sets in if cold cranking amp (CCA) capacity has decreased significantly due to wear or damage. O’Reilly Auto Parts carries all of the battery products you need to start preparing your battery for lower temperatures, with the right sizes, battery types, and more for a variety of vehicles.

If you’re unsure about how your battery will fare this season, have your battery tested for free at your local O’Reilly Auto Parts, and we’ll help you find a replacement if needed. The Professional Parts People can also recharge the battery for your car, truck, boat, ATV, RV, mower, and more, which can be helpful when you’re storing seasonal-use vehicles over the fall and winter. For more information about properly caring for or replacing your vehicle’s battery, visit our How-To Hub and learn more with our helpful resources.

Fall is a good time to check the condition of your brake pads and other brake hardware before it gets too cold to want to work on your car outdoors. If you’ve noticed your brakes not working as well as they should, or if they’re making noise or causing vibrations, you may need to perform some brake maintenance.

Make sure your pads and rotors are free of noticeable damage, corrosion, or cracks, and replace any damaged or worn-out parts. Brake rotors and brake pads should be replaced in pairs to ensure matched performance, and brake rotors should always be resurfaced or replaced when brake pads are serviced.

O’Reilly Auto Parts carries all of the supplies you need to prepare your brakes for colder days, including brake pads, drums and rotors, hydraulics, hardware kits, and other needed products to keep your brakes working their best this season. Most O’Reilly locations also offer brake drum and rotor resurfacing to help you complete your brake repair and keep you safe on the road this fall.

Fall is a time when a lot of people choose to perform an oil change. Oil changes are recommended by vehicle manufacturers at specific intervals, and the type of motor oil you choose should also be based on manufacturer specifications that can be found in your owners manual. Changing your oil before winter ensures that its viscosity is suitable and that you have maximum oil flow on cold mornings to keep your engine properly lubricated at startup.

If it isn’t time for your next oil change yet, at least check the oil level. Changing your oil and filter is one of the simplest, and important, tasks to complete to prepare for colder months. Visit your local O’Reilly Auto Parts to find all of the products you need to change your oil and oil filter, including a variety of different brands and performance levels of oil filters for most vehicle types, and a full line of conventional and synthetic motor oil to choose from.

Need help getting the job done? We also carry the tools to change your oil or service your oil filter to make this maintenance task as easy as possible. Shop our selection of jack stands, drain pans, funnels, and socket sets for your next oil change or project. You can also check out our helpful guide to learn how to change your oil and oil filter.

Fall is a great time of the year to check all your fluid levels, especially your antifreeze. Antifreeze is typically mixed with water to reach the correct ratio for complete system protection when it is added to the cooling system. Over time, antifreeze degradation can raise its freezing point and no longer offer adequate protection for the temperature conditions you may experience. Testing your antifreeze with a bubble gauge or other antifreeze testers can help you determine whether it should be replaced.

You can find all of the supplies you need to check and fill your fluid levels at O’Reilly Auto Parts. Make O’Reilly Auto Parts your go-to for simple coolant testers to help you perform this testing, along with the full-strength and pre-mixed antifreeze, radiator flush, and other maintenance items you may need to complete your cooling system maintenance.

To learn more about testing your antifreeze, or how to flush and refill your antifreeze, take a look at our helpful articles. In addition to antifreeze, it’s a good idea to top off your vehicle’s windshield washer fluid before cold weather sets in. We recommend using a windshield washer fluid designed for colder temperatures to prevent freezing and help keep your windshield clear of any snow, ice, or other winter weather or debris.

Lastly, as the temperatures drop and the potential for poor weather rises, being prepared for any unforeseen roadside mishaps or emergencies is one of the best ways to stay safe throughout the cooler seasons. Taking time this fall to pack your roadside emergency kit and put it in your car not only prepares you for the fall season, but can also prepare you for severe weather in the winter to come.

O’Reilly Auto Parts carries all of the safety supplies you need for your roadside emergency kit, including jumper cables and jump starters, windshield covers, shovels, windshield scrapers, and more. We even carry complete roadside emergency kits for every season to help you get started and stay prepared all year long.

We hope this fall service and supplies guide has helped you understand where to start your vehicle's seasonal maintenance tasks. The suggestions in this article are only a few of the suggested tasks and products you can use to get your vehicle ready for fall. While most of these maintenance items don’t require extensive mechanical work or experience, we would still be happy to recommend a trusted local repair shop if you are not comfortable performing any of the maintenance recommendations above. No matter how well you maintain your vehicle, always remember that driving carefully is the best way to ensure your continued enjoyment and safety in any season.