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Fall Car Care Tips From PEAK Squad Mechanics

Fall Car Care Tips From PEAK Squad Mechanics

  • PEAK Squad
  • PEAK
  • October 23, 2026

Get your car ready for cold weather with fall car care tips from PEAK Squad mechanics. Check your heater, battery, wipers and tires before winter hits.

This Fall Car Care Month, we’re excited to introduce some new faces of the PEAK Squad. Our favorite working mechanics have spent decades under the hood. When they’re not in the shop, they help drivers across the country fix their cars over the airwaves. In addition to running busy shops, these PEAK Squad Mechanics each host their own car talk radio show or podcast. 

In the coming months, you’ll find them here on the PEAK Auto blog with advice, how-tos and expert opinions on DIY car care. Meet the crew, hear how they got their start, and get your car ready for the cold weather with their top fall car care tips. 

 

Aaron Clements, The C&C Auto Show

At just 12 years old, Aaron worked alongside his father at the BGFoodrich store installing shocks, brakes and alignments. As much as he loved cars, his other love was airplanes, so Aaron joined the Air Force and became a jet engine mechanic and crew chief on F-4 fighter jets. While he was away in the Air Force, he got a letter from his father asking him to come work with him at his new auto repair shop. He accepted, and over the years a four-bay garage grew into a family business with seven locations where Aaron now works with his son, daughter and sister. Today, he shares a lifetime’s worth of expertise every Saturday morning on The C&C Auto Show.

 

Aaron's Fall Car Care Tip: Check Your Heater

Don't wait until the first frosty morning to find out your heater isn't working. Aaron explains how coolant or a thermostat issue can leave you in the cold, and why they can lead to bigger engine trouble.

 

 

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor

As the son of a lead mechanic for American Airlines during World War II, Ron comes by his abilities honestly. He was just 12 when his father passed, and soon became known as the neighborhood kid who took everything apart, from washing machines to cars. His lightbulb moment came when he was working on his hot rod in the garage, thinking about how he was going to pay for college. A neighbor’s fan belt snapped in front of his mom’s house and she asked if she could pay Ron to fix it. His automotive repair career was born, and before long there was a different car waiting for him in the driveway every afternoon. Ron outgrew the driveway decades ago, and he’s been dispensing straight-talk repair advice as The Car Doctor on a nationally syndicated radio show since 1991. 

 

Ron's Fall Car Care Tip: Test Your Battery

Don’t wait until you’re trying to get to work or stranded in a freezing parking lot to discover a dead battery. If your engine sounds weak when you crank it, it may be a warning sign that you need a new battery. Ron explains why it’s important to get it tested now, before you have trouble.

 

 

Russ Evans, Under the Hood

Russ started wrenching at 17 to help keep his friends’ cars on the road until he realized he could turn his hobby into a career. Decades later, he runs a shop and swears he’s never worked a day in his life. Over the years, there have been easy repairs and difficult ones, none more memorable than a 1998 Mercedes ML320 that was struck by lightning. The car was fried and everyone gave up on it, including the insurance company, but Russ and his radio partner Shannon Nordstrom brought it back to life, despite the undeniable fried chicken smell. Russ and Shannon have been teaming up on the Under the Hood talk radio show since 1990.

 

Russ's Fall Car Care Tip: Change Your Wiper Blades

When’s the last time you changed your wiper blades? If it’s been more than six months, it’s time for new ones. If your wipers leave streaks or chatter, they’re probably a safety risk. Russ explains how easy it is to change your wiper blades to stay safe on the road.

 

 

 

Brian Bowersock, Auto Talk Radio

Brian grew up in the Midwest and got his start at a vocational high school, where he spent most of the day in a working shop servicing cars that people from the community brought in. That hands-on education and a memorable repair-shop-owner-turned-teacher inspired Brian’s lifelong love of the trade. After five years with the U.S. Navy doing heavy equipment repairs and service, Brian settled in San Diego and went right back to fixing cars. As an ASE Master Certified Technician with more than 30 years of industry experience, Brian owns West Automotive Group and helps keep Southern California drivers on the road every Saturday morning on Auto Talk Radio. 

 

Brian's Fall Car Care Tip: Check Your Tires

Regularly checking your tire pressure is important, and fall is a great time to do it. Learn how to check your tire pressure the right way, and what uneven wear could be telling you about your alignment and suspension.

 

 

Get Ready for Winter with PEAK

Get ready for cold weather with a few quick checks to ensure your heater works, your battery is strong, your wipers are clear, and tires are properly inflated. Got a question about your car? Tune in to one of our favorite mechanics’ radio shows to learn from the experts. Fall is also a great time to tackle the 5 Most Overlooked Routine Car Maintenance Tasks. Keep an eye on the PEAK Auto blog for more how-tos and expert insights from the PEAK Squad mechanics.