Winter Driving in Beaverton

Winter in Beaverton is mostly dark, wet commutes, with a few icy mornings that catch everyone off guard. The short version: get your battery tested before the first cold snap, know that studded tires are legal in Oregon only from November 1 through March 31, watch for flashing snow zone signs, and check TripCheck before you leave. Here’s the rest of what we tell our customers, from the tire shop we trust to the kit worth keeping in the trunk.

Is Your Battery Ready for the First Cold Morning?

Cold is hard on a battery. AAA says a battery loses about 35 percent of its strength at 32°F and about 60 percent at 0°F, and starting a cold engine can take up to twice the usual current. A battery that was just getting by in October is often the one that won’t turn over on the first frosty morning.

• Know its age. Most batteries last three to five years. AAA suggests having yours tested every year once it reaches its third year.
• Watch for the signs. Slow cranking, dimming lights, or a car that needed a jump recently.
• Get it tested, not just charged. A battery can show good voltage sitting still and still fail when it has to crank an engine. That’s what a load test is for.

At MotorCar Doctors, the battery and charging test is free: battery health under load, the terminals, alternator output and a trouble-code read. If it needs a new one, here’s our battery replacement service. Already stuck? Start with why your car won’t start, or why a battery keeps dying.

Should You Use Traction Tires, Studded Tires or Chains?

Oregon gives you a few ways to get traction. ODOT’s rules of thumb:

• Traction tires are studded tires, retractable studded tires, or tires made for severe snow, which carry a three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol on the sidewall. ODOT says they work about as well as studded tires on ice and better in most other winter conditions, with no more road damage than regular tires.
• Studded tires are legal in Oregon from November 1 through March 31. Running them outside those dates carries a fine of nearly $200. Because studs wear ruts into the pavement, ODOT encourages chains or non-studded traction tires instead.
• Chains include link chains, cable chains and similar devices. ODOT calls them more effective than studded tires. Check your owner’s manual for the right type and size, because some cars can’t take chains. If yours can’t, fabric “snow socks” can get you out of snow over short stretches.

Whatever you run, tires need enough tread and the right pressure. We rotate tires, set pressures and read the wear pattern, and our full-service oil change includes a rotation when your tires need one, with a photo inspection sent to your phone.

Which Tire Shop Do We Trust?

No one pays to be listed on this page. Why this one? Jeff: “I’ve always had good luck at Discount Tire.”

• Discount Tire: Hillsboro, in Tanasbourne, at 10643 NE Eider Ct. Open Monday to Friday, 8 to 6, and Saturday, 8 to 5. Phone: 503-614-9722 | Website

When Do You Need Chains? Reading the Snow Zone Signs

Oregon’s chain law applies on any highway where signs are posted. When you see a snow zone sign, it tells you what’s required right now:

• Carry chains or traction tires. You need chains or traction tires in or on the car, the right size for your tires. ODOT says Oregon law requires this in snow zones when snow is possible, even if you don’t end up needing them on that trip.
• Chains required, traction tires allowed. Cars and light trucks rated 10,000 pounds or less that aren’t towing can use traction tires in place of chains. Otherwise, chains go on one tire on each side of the drive axle: the front tires on a front-wheel-drive car, the rear tires on a rear-wheel-drive car.
• A conditional closure. In very bad conditions, ODOT can require chains on all vehicles, no matter the tires.

All-wheel drive? Under Oregon law, an all-wheel or four-wheel drive car doesn’t have to put chains on when it weighs 6,500 pounds or less unloaded, is driving all four wheels, has traction tires on every wheel, isn’t towing, is being driven so it doesn’t lose traction, and is carrying chains. ODOT’s snow zone page lists mud-and-snow or all-weather radial tires as well. Either way, carry the chains.

Closer to home: Washington County has four snow zones of its own, on steep, higher ground: Cornell Road from Cedar Hills Boulevard east to the county line, Barnes Road from 118th Avenue east to the county line, 175th Avenue between Scholls Ferry and Rigert roads, and Grabhorn Road between Farmington and Tile Flat roads. When the lights on the signs are flashing, chains or traction tires are required. The county posts active zones on wc-roads.com and TripCheck, and lists them on its snow zones page.

Heading to the mountain on Highway 26? ODOT notes that chains are often required on icy passes, so pack them before you go. Practice putting them on at home in good weather, never let air out of the tires to fit them, and keep it under 30 mph once they’re on.

How Do You Handle Ice on Highway 26, Highway 217 and Beaverton’s Overpasses?

Most Beaverton winter trouble is ice, not snow, and it’s often ice you can’t see. ODOT’s advice for icy days:

• Bridges and overpasses freeze first. They don’t get warmth from the ground and they lose heat to the air, so they can ice over when the rest of the road hasn’t. That means the overpasses on Highway 217 and the climb over the West Hills on Highway 26 deserve extra care on cold mornings.
• Black ice looks like wet pavement. It’s most common at night and early in the morning, and it lingers on shaded curves after the sun has melted it everywhere else.
• Look for clues. If there’s ice on your wipers, mirrors, road signs or fences, there may be ice on the road.
• Slow down and back off. Leave at least three times your usual following distance, turn off cruise control, and if the car feels like it’s floating, ease off gradually rather than slamming the brakes. On an EV, ODOT suggests turning off regenerative braking.

Who clears which roads. ODOT handles the state highways, including 26 and 217. It plows and treats its busiest highways first and aims to keep roads passable, not bare. ODOT uses salt on interstates and some connecting highways, and suggests washing your car, underside included, after a winter storm. Washington County covers about 426 miles of plow and ice routes, prioritizing major corridors and routes to emergency services, and doesn’t use road salt. Neighborhood streets are plowed only in extreme conditions, after the higher-priority roads. The City of Beaverton posts its winter sanding routes online.

Are Your Wipers, Washer Fluid and Lights Ready for Winter?

• Wipers. Streaks, chatter or torn rubber mean it’s time. Beam-style and winter blades are built to keep ice and snow from packing into the blade. Our wiper replacement usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
• Washer fluid. Keep it full, and keep a spare jug in the car. ODOT puts extra washer fluid in its winter kit.
• Lights. Walk around the car and check every light, and wipe road grime off the headlights when you fill up. Use low beams in fog or falling snow, because high beams reflect back at you. A dim or hazy headlight, or a bulb that’s out, is a quick light repair.

Why Do Heat, Defrost and Coolant Matter in Winter?

ODOT’s winter checklist starts with a heater and defroster that work, and antifreeze that’s good to -25°F. They’re connected. Your cabin heat comes from the engine’s hot coolant, so a heater that blows lukewarm is often a coolant, thermostat or heater core problem. Your defroster also borrows the air conditioning to dry the air, which is why windows that fog and won’t clear can point to the A/C side. Weak airflow on every setting is often just a packed cabin air filter.

A quick first look costs you nothing, and we’ll tell you what it needs, and what it costs, before any work starts. See our heating system repair and heater core replacement pages. For coolant, we check its condition and level for free, along with the hoses, radiator cap and connections, and tell you straight whether a coolant flush is due. Leaks, overheating and radiator work are covered under our cooling system repair.

Why Check TripCheck Before You Go?

• TripCheck.com is ODOT’s road-conditions site: live maps, alerts, current chain requirements (the blue circles on the map), and more than 1,000 road cameras. You can save a page with up to 10 cameras for your own commute.
• Call 511 for road and weather reports by highway or mountain pass. If 511 doesn’t work on your phone, call 800-977-6368.
• Don’t follow GPS blindly in a storm. Navigation apps don’t always know about closures or unplowed back roads, so stick to the main highways.
• Something hazardous on the road? Call 911 for emergencies. For non-emergencies, ODOT says to call *677.

What Goes in a Winter Kit for Your Car?

Pulled from ODOT’s and Ready.gov’s lists, here’s what’s worth keeping in the car from November on:

• Ice scraper and snow brush
• Jumper cables, a flashlight with extra batteries, and flares or reflective triangles
• Chains or traction tires, plus a tarp or plastic sheet to kneel on while chaining up
• Phone charger
• Blankets, and warm clothes: boots, coat, hat and gloves
• Water, snacks, any medicine you need, and a first aid kit
• Extra washer fluid, paper towels, and sand or cat litter for traction
• A small shovel

Before a longer trip, keep the tank full or the battery charged, and tell someone your route and when you expect to arrive. If you get stuck in a storm, Ready.gov’s advice is to stay in the car.

What If the Car Won’t Go?

If you slide off or stall, pull as far off the road as you can and turn on your hazards. ODOT tows cars that block traffic right away, so don’t just walk off and leave it in a lane. Had service with us in the last year? Any MotorCar Doctors service of $25 or more covers your vehicle for a full year of roadside assistance, including jump starts and towing. Our towing and roadside help guide covers what to do next and the tow companies we trust.

How Do You Get Your Car Winter-Ready?

Ready.gov suggests having a mechanic check the battery, antifreeze, brakes, heater and defroster, lights, exhaust, thermostat, and wipers and washer fluid before winter. That’s our everyday work. Every visit includes our digital vehicle inspection, so you get photos of what we find and decide what gets done and what can wait. The battery and charging test and the coolant check are free. We’re open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more local answers, see our Beaverton Car Owner’s Guide.

MotorCar Doctors Auto Repair, 13203 SW Canyon Rd, Ste C, Beaverton, Oregon 97005 · 503-626-4810

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