As the cool weather approaches, and snow already in the Sierras it's time start winterizing our vehicles.

Whether we like it or not, cold weather is on its way, and it's the perfect reminder to get the maintenance on our cars checked out before it gets any colder.

This morning it snowed on Mt. Rose Highway, so it's better to get  car checked sooner than later to make sure it's ready for winter weather.

One of the main things you should get checked first is check your tires. Having the right amount of tread can be the difference of staying on the road or sliding off.

People can check the tread on their tires by using a penny or a quarter.

Penny Test:

  1. Place a penny into the tread groove with President Lincoln’s head upside down.
  2. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tires are completely worn out and need to be replaced.
  3. If Abe’s head is covered, then your tires still have more than 2/32nds of tread.

It's recommend to replace tires that are worn at or below 4/32" of tread.

Below 4/32’’, tires will experience a serious loss in stopping power and hydroplaning resistance.

Quarter Test:

  1. Take a quarter and place it into your tread groove with George Washington’s head facing downward.
  2. If you can see the top of Washington’s head, then your tires have worn below 4/32nds of an inch.

During the winter people want to make sure batteries, wipers, coolant and tires are at proper temperatures and in good condition.

In our area, automotive experts told us we should all have snow tires because to make sure cars can grip the road.

"Snow tires are at least all terrain or mud, and snow tires is adequate here in this temperature but again you want to make sure you tire pressure is proper or else it won't matter what tires you have if they're not properly inflated, you're going to have issues anyways," said Paul Seivers, the Front Counter Manager at Pro 1 Automotive.

Tire pressure also fluctuates based on the season, and if tires aren't properly inflated it can increase wear and tear, and cause accidents.

Seivers also advised people to replace wipers every 6 months depending on the conditions.

“Summers are really hard on the wipers they get dry ad brittle because we don’t get much rain out here and then naturally the winters speak for themselves; they get cold they also get brittle," he said.