When cold weather moves in, your car or truck can quickly become the new hot spot for uninvited guests. Mice and rats are looking for shelter, squirrels want to stash their supplies, and the neighborhood stray cat has decided to use your engine bay as a heated blanket. None of these moochers helps make the car payment, though.

While cats seeking warmth need a safe exit, rodents can leave behind nests, droppings, and chewed wiring. A little prevention can help discourage unwanted guests, and knowing how to inspect your vehicle can help you catch trouble before it becomes a repair bill.

Here are five ways to make your car less inviting this cold season.
 

Cooler weather traditionally brings a familiar checklist for your car: check your battery, inspect your tires, and make sure the heater works. All good advice, but none of it is going to make someone stop and ask, “Wait, I’m supposed to do what?”

Some useful fall habits sound a little backward. Running the air conditioning when you can see your breath? Cleaning your car to help its safety features work? Apparently, cooler weather enjoys making everything more complicated.
 

Sure, you can turn up the stereo and ignore that noise. But your car should not sound like a broken shopping cart every time you pull into a driveway. A squeak over bumps, a clunk when turning, or a tire wearing unevenly can all point to a steering or suspension problem. Before you buy parts or book an alignment, a few checks at home can help you narrow down the cause.

Few things make you question your vehicle’s loyalty quite like turning the heater to full blast on a cold morning and getting a face full of Arctic air. Fortunately, a lack of heat does not always mean an expensive repair. These tips, combined with vehicle-specific repair information from ALLDATAdiy, can help you diagnose the problem, repair your vehicle, and save money.

This article focuses on conventional coolant-based heating systems found in most gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. Electric vehicles and some hybrids use different heating systems and require vehicle-specific diagnostic procedures.

Vehicle: 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500, 4WD, L6-3.0L DSL, Turbo Automatic Transmission/Transaxle

Mileage: 76,552 

Problem: A squeak in the right front of the truck was driving the owner crazy. He spent hours trying to find the source. When he couldn’t find the source, he took the truck to the shop to let the technicians share the fun. The squeaking sound was happening while the truck was running 20-30 mph and above. Going above 55 mph made it sound like something was grinding behind the tire.

Summer is all about road trips, warm weather, and enjoying the open road. But while the sunshine is great for weekend adventures, the heat can take a toll on your vehicle. High temperatures can contribute to everything from minor inconveniences to major mechanical failures, and the repair bill can be just as painful.

If you've ever had your check engine light scanned at your local AutoZone, you probably remember the employee plugging a scanner into your vehicle's OBD-II port and printing out one or more trouble codes. I'm sure there was a sense of relief; after all, the scanner identified the problem...right?

When working on a vehicle, it is easy to misdiagnose certain problems. After all, when an OBD-II scanner pulls a code related to an oxygen (O2) sensor, your mind naturally jumps to the component mentioned. However, knowing how to chase root causes instead of throwing parts at a problem is what separates a solid diagnostic workflow from money poorly spent.

Vehicle: 2016 Chevy Tahoe, 2WD, V8-5.3L, Automatic Transmission/Transaxle

Mileage: 166,008

Problem: Originally, the vehicle came in with a misfire on cylinder No. 8 caused by a failed fuel injector. The extended warranty would only replace the injectors on the right bank and would not pay for spark plugs. The customer refused to pay any extra out of pocket. The vehicle left with no issues.

Vehicle: 2021 Toyota RAV4, 4WD, L4-2.5L (A25A-FKS), Automatic Transmission/Transaxle

Mileage: 163,956

Problem: This vehicle came in with a customer concern of stalling when stopping or idling and sometimes while driving. Each time the engine restarted. The customer stated that several other shops had worked on the vehicle and replaced the mass air flow (MAF) sensor, purge valve and spark plugs, but the problem wasn’t fixed.

When working on a vehicle, it is easy to misdiagnose certain problems. After all, when an OBD-II scanner pulls a code related to an oxygen (O2) sensor, your mind naturally jumps to the component mentioned. However, knowing how to chase root causes instead of throwing parts at a problem is what separates a solid diagnostic workflow from money poorly spent.

Figuring out what comes after high school is not always clear. College is one path, but it is not the only one. For students who enjoy working with their hands, solving problems, and seeing the results of their work, there is another option that leads directly into a career.

That is where SkillsUSA comes in.

We’ve all been there before. You’re casually driving along when the outline of what looks like a 4-year-old’s interpretation of a yellow submarine suddenly appears on your dashboard. While it’s thankfully not the genie-in-the-lamp oil light coming on, it’s still cause for concern, and that concern grows when it starts flashing. Sure, you could pull the bulb or throw a piece of tape over it and pretend your car isn’t trying to tell you something, but figuring out why the light is on isn’t difficult. Modern vehicles no longer fail silently, and ignoring the problem can quickly lead to bigger, more expensive issues.

It never fails. The forecast calls for cold weather, and the next morning, you walk out to your car, reminding yourself why you wish you were on a beach somewhere else, only to turn the key and get a few slow cranks, followed by an electronic stutter as a Christmas tree of warning lights illuminates the dashboard. The battery that worked just fine before the cold set in is suddenly dead, and now you’re late for work. While it’s easy to blame Murphy’s Law or bad luck, the real reasons behind winter battery failure are far more scientific. 

When it comes to automotive care, there is only so much an owner can do to keep a vehicle in top shape. For those living in climates where roads are salted to improve winter traction, some damage is simply unavoidable. Over time, salt and moisture work their way into fasteners and seams, turning routine garage work into frustration, like when a 12 mm bolt head suddenly rounds, or worse, snaps off. At the same time, watching once-clean fender lines, rocker panels, and other salt-spray zones begin the process of rust deterioration is more than cosmetic; it’s heartbreaking, wallet-busting, and a reminder that spring and summer better be perfect to offset the harsh winters.