I hate to say it but winter is just around the corner Sept is half over tomorrow. This will be the first of several topics covering getting your vehicle ready for winter.If your car doesn’t start it doesn’t really matter if the coolant is clean or not so let’s cover battery maintance first.With the sealed battery’s in the newer vehicles there is no need to maintain the water level but if you have an older battery and need to add water used distilled do not use well water or any water that contains a lot of minerals this will clog up a battery quickly.Keep the battery clean not just free from corrosion but also dirt and crud. Containments on the top of a battery can cause a parasitic drain.Cleaning the battery is simple remove the negative cable first. If you have a post type never pry up use a flat bladed screwdriver to separate the cable end. Coke does work but a mixture of water and baking soda is best (do not use on older battery’s it may enter the battery causing problems). Plain old soap and water and a medium bristle wire brush work just fine. There are also several different brushes for different connections sold at parts stores. I but a set or two of detail brushes at the cheap tool store these work great I have also used my dremel with a small wire brush. As always wear eye protection and a mask is not a bad idea either. If you have a GM that has two cables mounting to the battery with one bolt be sure to clean in between the connections also the bottom of the face of the bolt on all GMs. Also check the condition of the battery cables are they bubbled up or swollen? Are the grounds connections clean and tight don’t forget the ground connection at the engine? When you are all done spray some clear lacquer on the connections this will help keep them clean and make them easier to clean next time. Not a bad idea to stop by your local parts store and have it tested either.