A Girls Guide to Cars

Cars. On Your Terms.

  • About
    • Become a Contributor!
    • Contributors
    • Our Privacy Policy and How to Advertise on the Best Car Site for Women
  • Subscribe
  • Work With Us
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Navigation
  • Luxury
  • Style
    • Automotive Design
    • Personal Style
  • Technology
    • Apps
    • Connected Cars
    • Green Tech
    • In Car Entertainment
    • Safety Innovations
    • Spotify Playlists
  • Travel
    • Destinations
    • Road Trip!
    • Travel Tips
  • Car Buying
    • Costco’s Car Buying Program
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Recalls
    • Safety
    • Events
    • Buying a Car
    • Finance
    • Maintenance
    • Parts and Gear
    • Canada
  • News & Opinion
    • What Drives Her
    • Her Stories
    • Editorial
    • Ask Us Anything
    • Twitter Parties

Spring Car Care: 7 Ways To Prepare for Warmer Temperatures

April 1, 2022 by Jenn Greene Leave a Comment

spring car care Kia K900

Spring cleaning is important for your car, too, under the hood as well as in the cabin. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Spring is Too Sweet: Don’t Let a Breakdown Spoil It

The ground is thawing and the birds are chirping, that means warmer temps are on the way. This is the perfect time to maintain your car – before Spring fever conveniently lets you forget to do it. Just as spring cleaning is a good idea for your home, spring maintenance is a smart idea for your car.

Depending on where you live, winter can cause your vehicle to take a beating, both externally and inside your engine. Now is the perfect time to see what should be addressed, and prepare for summer driving — before the heat of summer comes!

Spring Car Care: Seven Ways To Prepare

These seven tips can be done with little to no cost unless there is a major problem. It is empowering when you can change your own coolant or know when you need an oil change by looking at the oil. If you need a guide to what is under the hood, ask someone knowledgeable, or ask a good mechanic to show you around your car.

1. Inspect your windshield wipers. Chilly winter temps and ice can cause your wiper blades to lose their effectiveness. Most auto parts stores will change them for you for free. Better yet, have them show you how to change them and you can do it yourself anytime.

2. Check your oil. If it’s been over 3,000 miles since your last oil change, it’s probably best to get an oil change and top off the fluids (make sure they check brake fluid, power steering and transmission fluids). Warmer temps will take a toll on your oil, so it’s good to start the season with fresh, clean motor oil.

3. Be sure to check and see if your engine needs more coolant. You may need to add coolant or have a flush-and-fill performed. Trying to make it through summer with inadequate coolant is a recipe for a roadside disaster.

4. Speaking of keeping cool, be sure to test your air conditioning system. If it’s not providing enough cool air, you may need more refrigerant. Or, it might be a clogged condenser, leak, or loose drive belt. Regardless, it’s smart to fix this situation in spring before the peak heat of summer arrives. Who wants a broken A/C at the beach?

5. Check your tire pressure. Wide temperature variations are common with changes of season and can cause your tires to lose pressure more quickly. And remember, under-inflated tires don’t get as good MPG or grip the road as well as properly inflated tires.

6. Check the tread on your tires. If they look worn, replace your tires before the heavy rains and reduced traction of spring come along.

A Girls Guide to Cars Tip:  Insert a penny into your tire’s tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, your tread depth is less than 2/32 inch and it’s time to replace your tires.

safe driving tips

Checking the tread on the Michelins; put a penny head-down into the tread and if you can’t see the top of Lincoln’s head, your tread is good. Photo: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

7. Does everything look good under the hood? Does it pass the smell test? Look for cracks, swelling, fraying or leakage. If something looks borderline, have it checked out or replace it yourself; warmer weather could likely cause it to fail.

A Girls Guide to Cars Tip: Hear a squeal or squeak? Get that checked right away. A busted belt or hose can blow your whole engine and that is a costly repair you do not want to deal with.

Educate Yourself About Your Car and Feel Empowered

If you aren’t comfortable doing these things yourself, take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic and ask for a 29 point inspection. This will ensure that everything is ready to go for warmer temperatures. Nothing will ruin a road trip like unexpected car problems.

Many of a car’s systems will flash a warning light to alert you of an issue, and you can install an OBD II reader (or on board diagnostics) to know just what is going on under the hood, but it’s always best to know your car yourself.

And that way, you’re assured your spring fling will be uninterrupted!

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
Jenn Greene

Jenn Greene

Mom, Wife, Writer and Avid Traveler Jenn wears many hats. She grew up in the car industry and has a love for cars of every kind. She couldn't get her license without learning to drive stick shift, she is now teaching her teen driver the same lessons. A red 67 Mustang GT is her dream but she totes the family around in a SUV--one day she will get that muscle car. She is an shares her journey through life discovering new destinations at JourneyswithJenn.com
Jenn Greene

Latest posts by Jenn Greene (see all)

  • Spring Car Care: 7 Ways To Prepare for Warmer Temperatures - April 1, 2022
  • USED: 2017 KIA Niro EX Hybrid Crossover Review: Looks and MPG That’ll Turn Heads - February 21, 2022
  • Easy Winter Windshield Tricks to End Your Fight With Ice - December 3, 2021

Filed Under: Maintenance, She Buys Tagged With: car care, Car Maintenance tips, spring car care

« USED: 2018 Chevy Traverse: A Great Family Car
4 Car Care Tips for Spring Weather »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Reviews Header
View from our Cabin in Maine with the Forester where it belongs!

9 Tips for a Romantic Road Trip – and What to Bring Along to Set the Mood

Want to Test Drive a Wild and Unusual Car? Try Hagerty’s DriveShare

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Child Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress