You can extend the life span of your vehicle and also save a lot of money in the long run if you maintain your vehicle properly. Your car or truck can get badly affected by the harsh Canadian winter. The only way to keep your car or truck in the best driving condition after the weather starts warming up is to look at the problems, attend to maintenance and auto repair work and give your car a breath of fresh air.
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Regular Maintenance And Auto Repair
Look at these simple maintenance tips to get your car/truck ready for spring after the harsh winter nap.
- Cleaning The Undercarriage
The accumulation of grime, salt or sand underneath your vehicle are the common problems faced after the winter. This can result in eventual erosion of the undercarriage. Give the vehicle a through undercarriage wash by going to a car wash. You can also clean it yourself by pressure cleaning it with a garden hose.
- Interior And Exterior Refurbishment
Winter leaves its unpleasant mark on your vehicle. Wiping out the season’s marks requires a close look at the interiors and exteriors. You need to clear the winter mess to give your vehicle a new look. A few things like a good wax for the car, replacing the floor mats and clearing the trunk of all the winter tools will make the vehicle ready for spring driving.
- Switch To All-Season Tires
Winter tires are a safety requirement and most people move to these when the temperatures start to drop during winter. But as the weather starts to warm up, it is time to switch to performance tires suited for the rest of the seasons.
- Tire Pressure Check
Tire pressure check is something that people follow as a matter of routine. But in winter, you need to keep a track of changes in temperature and adjust tire pressure accordingly. As a rule of thumb, tire pressure loss is one pound per square inch for every 6oC drop in temperature. Therefore, it is important that the tire pressure is checked throughout the winter and as warmer days start.
- Tire Alignment Necessary
Potholes affect tires badly during winter driving and it is a good idea to check the tire alignment as spring starts. In case, you continued using your all-weather tires during winter, get the tires rotated as well.
- Monitoring Fluids
Never neglect checking the car fluids as spring starts. This can be very dangerous for your car. In addition to carrying out any necessary auto repair, you need to ensure that fluids like oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant are at their optimal capacity.
- Air Filter Inspection
A dirty air filter adversely affects engine performance and reduces gas mileage by up to 10%. Should you ignore this fact? And changing it is neither time-consuming (a 5 minute job) nor expensive (just &10 to $15) and yet is crucial for your car to run efficiently.
- Brake Checks Are Vital
Just as it is important to get auto repair done on time, the car brakes must be in perfect condition for safe driving. But they get spoiled by road salt as the brake metal frame gets corroded. It affects the smooth functioning of the brake pads. So, it is important to keep the brake metal frames well lubricated and clean. During your visit to the the service center, ensure that you get the brakes checked as well.
- Replacement Of Wiper Blades
Your car’s windshield wipers are kept flipping continuously during a winter drive for a view clear of snow. It is easy to take these for granted, but they too wear out. Replacing them after winter is a good investment to ensure you have clear visibility while driving.
You will enjoy hassle-free and smooth vehicle rides in the post-winter period if you take care of your car by attending to auto repair and these spring maintenance tips.
