It´s that time of year again, spring. Your vehicle is ready to be
treated well after a long, hard winter and you will need to make sure
that a full spring maintenance is done to keep your car or truck in
perfect operating order. Let´s take a look at some of the most important
factors in the spring maintenance.
Exterior Spring Maintenance
Wiper
blades. These are an important part of vehicle maintenance. You´ll want
to replace old blades or clean newer ones that have gone through the
rigors of winter. Wiper blades should be replaced every six months
anyway, so doing it during your spring clean up is perfect timing.
Washing.
The salt that is used to melt ice on roads can be very damaging to your
car, so now that spring is here, give it a thorough washing from top to
bottom. Make sure you rinse the undercarriage as well, since this is
where a lot of rust happens without you noticing.
Waxing. This is
the perfect time to wax your vehicle so it will last for a while and be
easier to clean next time. You should also repair any chips in the paint
at this time.
Tires. Check your tire pressure and top up if
needed. Keeping your tires at optimum pressure will save you hundreds of
dollars in gas and tire wear, so this should be a regular thing, not
just for spring maintenance.
Engine Maintenance
Oil. You
should change your oil every 3 to 4 months, so an easy way to remember
that is to simply change with the change of seasons. Your spring vehicle
maintenance is the ideal time to do this.
Tune up. Get a tune up
now, to make sure that your vehicle is in great condition for summer
driving, when most longer trips are taken. This will allow you to travel
safely to weddings or on vacation.
Fluid levels. A quick check of
all fluid levels is a good idea at this point, too. Make sure
everything is topped up so your engine will be running at top efficiency
and you won´t have to deal with problems in this area later on.
Other Vehicle Maintenance
Interior.
Now that the weather is warmer, you´ll be able to get out the vacuum
and get rid of the clutter and garbage that built up over the winter!
Clean out your car´s interior and vacuum for a nicer driving atmosphere.
Brakes.
A break check should be done every spring to ensure that they are in
perfect working order. You may not even realize that your brakes aren't
working properly, since we tend to get used to them as time goes on.
This can end up being very dangerous, so get them checked before you
head into spring.
Other systems. Your spring maintenance checkup
is a good time to review all other areas of your vehicle, replace broken
lights and repair any other problems that you have been leaving until
warmer weather.
A spring vehicle maintenance is the ideal way to
ensure that your vehicle is ready to drive and is safe to do so for the
spring and summer months. This includes checking out the main systems,
fixing up your car and removing the winter salt and grime that can be
damaging, as well as replacing parts like the windshield wipers for
better visibility. It´s an important part of
car
upkeep. You should also do a winter maintenance session to ensure that
your vehicle is ready for winter, six months or so from now.