Spring Car Care Tips for Careful Drivers

Winter is finally due to end, and there will be a break in the frigid temperatures and icy road conditions. If we’re lucky, we might soon upgrade to cold temperatures and wet driving conditions! Just because spring is around the corner doesn’t mean we’ll all be outside dancing around maypoles! But a change from snow and ice means that it’s time to start preparing your car for new driving conditions. From getting a cheap oil change to cleaning out the backseat of your car, there is plenty for a careful driver to do before the sun really starts to shine!

Here is our recommended spring car care checklist:

Get a Cheap Oil Change

First and foremost, and we can’t stress this enough, get a cheap oil change. Keeping up with your oil change schedule is one of the most important steps a driver can take to ensure their car copes well with the change in temperature, not to mention regular driving. Of course, we’d encourage you to stop in for a quick oil change at our service department to make this chore a whole lot easier for yourself. One of our professional technicians will get your oil changed with the right type of oil for your car and have you on your way in no time! This will help your engine cope with the change in temperatures and set you up for success for spring driving!

Replace Your Windshield Wiper Blades

If you’re like many people, you probably abused your windshield wiper blades over the winter. How often have you gotten into your car and realized there was a thin glaze of ice covering your windshield? I bet you sat there with your windshield wipers going full blast and wasting all your windshield fluid. Now, this might have worked to keep you out of the cold with a scraper, but it probably wasn’t too kind on your wiper blades. Spring is a great time to invest in a new pair. This a great, inexpensive way to improve your visibility when the eventual rain does come.

Fill Your Wiper Fluid

This is especially important if you are prone to overusing your wiper fluid instead of getting out of your car to scrap. Spring is also going to mean a whole lot of mud and muck. Bugs are also going to start coming out soon and smashing onto your windshield while you’re driving down the highway. All of this means dirty windshields and a greater need for wiper fluid. You don’t want to far from home, stuck in traffic and realize you can’t see great because your blades aren’t clearing your windshield properly. Topping off your wiper fluid is a quick and easy way to set yourself up for success. You probably won’t feel grateful for something you take for granted, but I bet you’ll feel silly if you run out.

Wash Your Car

You probably are excited about this one. Most of us put off washing our cars too frequently in the winter because they’ll just freeze solid the second we’re done. But the sand and salt on roads accumulates on the underside and exterior of our cars all winter and can be damaging if left too long. Pick the first day it lifts above 32 degrees and get yourself a car wash. You may have to wait in line with the rest of your city, so be sure to plan ahead. This is an important chore to help protect your car from damaging debris left behind by winter that can lead to corrosion and rust.

Inspect for Scratches and Dings

If the salt, sand or anything else damaging has already gotten to your car, it’s best to catch it early to prevent the problem from growing. Check around your car’s paint job for any scratches which might corrode and for any dents or dings that could begin to rust. Fix any scratches, chips, or damages as you find them to protect the long-term value of your car and keep it running smoothly!

Remove Debris from Under Your Hood

This tip is pretty simple and one you can do without needing to plan for it. The next time you go to get in your car, pop open the hood and take a look at all the detritus that’s accumulated over the winter. You’ll probably find pine needles, leaves, salt and other bits and bobs hiding in nooks and crannies. Hopefully, you’ll have already noticed this if it’s a problem, but check for any mice nests too. If there are any, clear them out right away! Make sure to clear anything that doesn’t belong in the underside of your hood out, especially from vents, to keep your car running correctly.

Get Your Winter Tires Removed and/or Check Your Tire Pressure

If you had winter tires put on for the icy season, it’s about time to have them removed. Most places have laws in place about when you need to have them off by. You probably still have a few months, but better to get them off once their ice and cold-fighting properties aren’t any use. Once the temperature begins to rise, snow tires will become too pliable and not do well on warm roads. You want to make sure that the tires you have equipped on your ride are going to keep you and your family safe, so getting your snow tires off once the snow’s gone is a good idea.

If you have all-season tires that don’t need to be changed, keep an eye on their pressure because the change in temperature will alter your tires’ pressure. Make sure to check your tire pressure regularly throughout spring since the weather can be unpredictable and significant swings in temperature can happen frequently.

Get Your Wheels Realigned

This is a process that might be recommended to you if you bring your car in to have your snow tires removed, but is still a process you should consider even if you have all-season tires that don’t need to be switched out. Over the winter, you probably hit your fair share of pothole and ice banks. This could have messed with your tire’s alignment and be causing harm to your car and tires. If you or your mechanic notice that your tires are bare, this may also be a good time to start planning for new ones.

Test Your Lights

This one doesn’t specifically have to do with the season, but more with the fact that you should be testing your lights every few months, and doing it with the seasons just makes sense. When you’re washing your car or cleaning out the debris from under the hood, take a minute to check that all your lights are working. This will save you a lot of trouble versus the alternative of getting pulled over and getting a ticket.

Clean the Inside of the Car

We’ve left this one for last because it doesn’t apply to every car driver. Some of us are notoriously bad about removing junk and debris from our cars in the winter because it’s so cold out. Now that it’s a bit warmer, it’s time to clear out the trunk and the backseat. Your exercise equipment and those books you borrowed from a friend have no business living in your car full-time, not to mention any trash you’ve got scattered around. Do a little “spring cleaning” in your car to get a fresh start on the season!