Freezing temperatures, snow, road salt, and icy roads put extra stress on your vehicle. Prepare for the season with Grace Automotive's complete Winter Ready Special.
The Winter Ready Special is our complete seasonal preparation package, not an oil change with a few extras stapled on. In a single appointment, our technicians handle the six maintenance services that matter most before the cold sets in, then walk your vehicle through a 30-point winter inspection so you know exactly where it stands before the first snowfall.
$450 package price for eligible vehicles. Vehicle-specific requirements are confirmed before your appointment. See package details below.
We've been getting Irving Park drivers through winter since 1981, and every January tells the same story: the cars that struggle in deep cold are almost always the ones that skipped a fall checkup. Here's what Chicago winters actually do to a vehicle.
Cold weather reduces the power a battery can deliver, right when a cold engine needs the most cranking force. A battery that starts fine in September can leave you stranded on the first single-digit morning. Testing it in the fall takes minutes and tells you whether it will carry you through. It's the same proactive check we run in our battery and electrical service all winter long.
Tread depth and proper inflation are what connect your car to a snowy road. Worn tread that was fine all summer gives up grip fast in slush, and tire pressure drops as temperatures fall. One honest note: all-season tires are not the same as dedicated winter tires, which stay flexible in deep cold and bite better in snow. We'll tell you plainly where your tires stand and what makes sense for how you drive.
Chicago treats its roads generously with salt, and that salt spends the winter working on your brake lines, undercarriage, and suspension hardware. Add the freeze-thaw craters that open up on Pulaski and Irving Park Road every year, plus the stop-and-go grind of the Kennedy, and winter is genuinely hard on brakes and steering and suspension components. A fall inspection catches corrosion and wear while it's still a small job.
Antifreeze isn't just for July traffic jams. Properly maintained coolant keeps the system from freezing in deep cold, protects against internal corrosion, and feeds the heat to your cabin and defroster. Coolant that has been neglected for years loses that protection quietly, and a frozen or corroded cooling system is one of the most expensive problems winter can hand you.
Snow spray from the car ahead, salt film, freezing drizzle at dusk. Winter driving here is a visibility test. Wipers that streak, washer fluid that freezes, or a defroster that can't keep up turn an ordinary commute into a hard one. Fresh blades, winter-rated washer fluid, and a working heater and defroster are simple things that make every winter mile easier.
Each service in the package earns its place. Here's what we do and why it matters once the temperature drops.
Manufacturer-specification full synthetic oil, a new oil filter, and proper oil level verification. We match the oil to your engine's approved specification, never a one-size-fits-all jug.
Our technicians check 30 specific items across six vehicle systems: tires, brakes, battery, cooling and heating, steering and suspension, and visibility. The full checklist is further down this page.
We review your cooling system's condition and your manufacturer's requirements, then replace the coolant using the approved fluid and procedure, and verify level and freeze protection.
Replacement of your applicable windshield wiper blades plus a basic check of wiper system operation.
We remove your existing cabin air filter and install a compatible replacement.
We remove your existing engine air filter and install a compatible replacement.
Winter vehicle preparation goes beyond changing your oil. Our technicians inspect critical vehicle systems to help identify worn components, potential leaks, and maintenance concerns before freezing weather arrives. Tap any category to see exactly what we check.
These 30 checkpoints are inspections, not repairs. We check accessible components and report what we find. An inspection helps identify maintenance concerns early; it is not a guarantee against breakdowns, and any recommended repair is quoted separately for your approval.
No mystery and no pressure. Here is exactly how a Winter Ready Special visit works at our shop:
Book online or call us. Tell us the year, make, and model so we can prepare for your vehicle.
Before your appointment, we confirm your vehicle's oil specification, coolant requirements, and filter availability, and we disclose any difference in price before you commit.
Our technicians perform the approved maintenance services and walk your vehicle through all thirty inspection points.
You get the findings in plain English: what's in good shape, what's worth watching, and what we recommend addressing.
If the inspection turns something up, we quote it in writing. Additional repairs only happen with your approval, never as a surprise on the invoice.
We're a family-owned shop that has been fixing cars on Pulaski Road since 1981, through more than forty Chicago winters. Drivers from Irving Park, Portage Park, Avondale, Jefferson Park, Albany Park, and across the Northwest Side come back year after year for the same reasons: honest recommendations, clear explanations, written estimates before work begins, and no upselling. Our slogan isn't a marketing line. "Fixed Right the First Time" is simply how we keep neighbors as customers for decades.
Six essential services and a 30-point winter inspection in one convenient visit.
Booking online? Just mention the $450 Winter Ready Special in your appointment notes so we can prepare for your visit.
Package eligibility: $450 is the package price for eligible vehicles. Oil capacity and specification, coolant requirements, wiper configuration, and filter availability vary by make and model; eligibility and any pricing differences are disclosed and approved before booking confirmation or work begins. If your manufacturer requires a different coolant procedure, we confirm the appropriate treatment with you first. Additional repairs are not included. Plus applicable taxes and fees.
Still curious about winter maintenance? Our blog covers what Chicago weather does to cars all year round, and routine upkeep like an oil change in Chicago is something we handle every day, winter special or not.