We’re generally a “do it yourself” type of family – from yard work and home remodeling to projects and working on vehicles. It saves us money and we have fun doing it. But there are some things that you just can’t do yourself and there are other things that simply should not be done in the bitter cold and slushy snow of winter. There are times that even my DIY enthusiastic family simply throws in the towel and gets the job done somewhere else! So here’s my list of 3 Things You Don’t Want to Do Yourself When it Comes to Winter and Your Car.
1. Washing Your Car – First up on my list is washing the car. I love the self service car washes because I can ensure that I get every little nook and cranny that an automatic car wash might miss. But let’s face it, those garage doors are down for a reason and even if you close it behind you, it’s guaranteed to be bitter cold in there. Now, I never heard of anyone that enjoyed playing in the water in below zero temperatures!
I say no thanks and instead, I’ll let the machines do the work from the comfort and warmth of my own car – thank you very much! After all, it’s winter and the car will be full of salt again in a day or two anyway!
2. Oil Change – Changing your oil is simple enough to do on your own. In fact, believe it or not, I’ve even changed my own oil before. Yes, I’m a woman of many talents and I’m not afraid to get dirty! But I am afraid of the cold and I would never even think about doing it myself in the wet snow and cold air. I wouldn’t let anyone else do it for that matter either. I mean, just look at the absurdity of laying a jack down in the snow – umm hello danger!
*This is a reenactment photo for purposes of this post and my husband did not literally jack the van up.
No thank you, I’ll take a pass on that one. My husband’s safety and keeping him warm is definitely more important than saving a few bucks! But the good thing is that we can drive right over to Walmart and stop in the Automotive Care Center where they’ll change the oil for us. The best part is, it’s not even really all that expensive, so I don’t feel like I’m just throwing money out the window. They even use Pennzoil oil, which helps to clean out that yucky sludge that other oils tend to leave behind. The technicians are happy to offer oil that is great for older, high mileage vehicles such as ours. It’s designed to help keep the engines of vehicles with over 75,000 miles running clean and strong, yet it also helps reduce leaks and oil consumption.
3. Checking Your fluids – I know, that may sound silly, but I’m serious! Who wants to stand out in those bitter temperatures to check the oil, transmission and other fluids? I sure don’t! But that’s what’s awesome about the Automotive Care Center at Walmart, because they’ll check your fluids for you – score!
And, instead of sitting in a waiting room while my oil gets changed, I get to shop while I wait. C’mon, who could argue with that? Not this girl! Our Walmart even has a Subway too, so hubby and I enjoyed a little lunch during our wait too!
What would you find most convenient about getting your oil changed at the Automotive Care Center at Walmart?
