Is your Vehicle Ready for the Spring Season? Follow the checklist at the bottom of this blog to find out!
If you live in an area where they salt the roads during the winter, you should be washing your car on a regular basis. Regular car washes will protect the paint from corrosive debris like salt! For the rest of us, after a long and cold winter, we know that our cars are sorely overdue for a car wash but, what else can you do to prepare for Spring?
You will want to have your vehicles' cooling system checked. Check for any cracks or leaks in the radiator or hoses and turn on the A/C to make sure it is blowing cold air! Lastly, be sure the coolant and antifreeze levels are topped off or replaced.
With longer days and shorter nights around the corner, that means road trips! You are going to want to have your battery tested, tires inspected, and your fluids topped off or replaced if your vehicles' mileage is at or close to a maintenance interval. A typical manufacture maintenance interval is based on the type of oil you are using, synthetic and synthetic blend are generally every 6 months or 6k miles. Conventional oil intervals are around 3000 miles. Measure your tires tread depth to be sure they are not balding. Having proper traction during the rainy Spring season is a must!
Before your road trip you will also want to be sure your windshield wipers have not worn from all of the ice, snow and salt. This is important to replace each season to increase visibility and prevent accidents as Spring is typically a rainy season and your windshield wipers have already put in a ton of work during the Winter.
The Winter season has also been particularly brutal on the roads, creating some of the biggest potholes the city has seen in a while. When you hit or fall into these tire-swallowing holes on the road, your vehicle's alignment will get thrown off, causing your tires to wear out unevenly and much faster!
Here are some of the steps you can take to prepare your vehicle for the spring season.
- Check your tire pressure and tire tread depth. You can also switch to seasonal tires if you were on winter tires before.
- Check your battery and make sure it is giving off the proper voltage.
- Check your fluids! You will want to check your transmission fluid, Oil, and coolant or antifreeze. Top these fluids off as needed.
- Check your Brakes and rotors. You should have a mechanic inspect your brakes and rotors to ensure you can safely drive this spring season.
- Check your air conditioning! You may have been using your heater all winter, but that doesn't mean that your vehicle is still blowing cold air!