Spring has sprung. Photo by Terri Marshall for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
Yay, it’s Spring! Now, here’s what that means for your car.
We all worry about running into car problems in the winter, but they can happen anytime. The weather is warm and it’s time to start planning for adventure, but your car may still be trying to shake off winter’s hold. Here are the things you should check this spring to make sure your car is ready after a long, cold winter of driving.
Check Your Battery
The cold weather might be over, but that doesn’t mean your battery is off the hook. All that cold weather is hard on a battery. Combined with corrosive salt and chemicals, winter takes a hefty toll. Signs your battery may be in trouble include dimming headlights or interior lights and slow-moving power windows or sunroofs. Have your battery checked to be sure it’s not about to give up rather than run into trouble the next time you try, and fail, to start your car.
Check Your Wiper Blades
Spring means rain and you need good wipers to see clearly and stay safe. Sometimes it’s hard to tell that your wipers are wearing out until you install a new set and suddenly see clearly in the rain. The rule of thumb is to replace them every six months, but there’s no reason not to replace them sooner if they’re leaving streaks or are worn from a winter’s worth of snow and ice.
Getting your tires checked for Spring driving. Image: Mopar
Check Your Tire Pressure
Make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure. Changes in temperature can leave you with under inflated or over-inflated tires, which has a significant impact on how well those tires grip the road. While you’re at it, check the tire tread. Make sure the tire wear looks even and use the penny test to make sure the tread hasn’t worn thin.
Take a penny and insert it into the tread with Lincoln’s head down. If his head disappears, you’re good. If you can see the top of his head, then it’s time for new tires. Do this at several different points along the width and at several different spots around the tire in case there’s uneven wear.
Get Your Brakes Checked
Think about how you drive in the winter and it’s easy to see why it’s a season that puts extra strain on your brakes. Harder braking to avoid collisions on ice and snow as well as more frequent braking on snowy roads cause your brakes to wear out. Have a professional inspect them to be sure that your brakes are ready for Spring adventures and summer road trips.
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I’m usually pretty good about checking my battery, so I can assure anyone else reading that doing so is smart. But I wouldn’t have thought about checking my brakes or tire pressure to compensate for the change in weather. I totally understand why doing so would be good for your car safety, so I guess I’ll have to start doing it more often. Thanks for sharing!
All the tips given in this article regarding the spring car care is really useful. Inspection of different components of the vehicle is really essential. By doing so, we could evaluate the current condition of such components and could repair or replace such components in time. Tire pressure fluctuates with the surrounding temperature, hence needs to be inspected properly at a regular interval and should be properly inflated. Similarly, different types of fluids used in the vehicle also needs inspection on a daily basis and should be properly inflated.
While it is cardinal for every motorist to take care of their convertible throughout the entire year, well, spring car maintenance can be exceptionally pivotal. Because after a long spell of the white time, every operative’s speed machine encounters many hardships on the thoroughfare. Starting from salt to ice and heavy snowflakes, the intermediary can take a beating during the Jack Frost. Therefore, the driver needs to track the above-mentioned clues so that he can safeguard his prized-antique during the white and avoid costly repairs down the road.