LoginGet Your Car Ready For Spring
We often see articles on how to get your car ready for driving in wintry conditions, but we neglect to prepare them for the following months when the weather begins to get warmer. As spring is approaching, now is the time to get your car ready for the warmer days. Here are our tips for getting your car ready for spring.
Give Your Car A Clean
Throughout the winter we often experience a lot of heavy rain and strong winds, this causes your car’s exterior to take a bit of a battering, we often drive through slush and snow on roads which have been treated with grit, sand and salt which can cause corrosion on the undercarriage of your vehicle.
It is therefore essential you give your vehicle a good wash with either a hose or a pressure washer, paying close attention to the undercarriage to remove the salt build-up from months of driving in wintry conditions.
Check Your Tyre Pressures
As the weather changes, so do the pressures in your tyres. The increase in temperature affects the air within your tyres, increasing it by roughly 1.5 psi for every 10℃. Due to this, it is wise to check your tyre pressure every time there is a temperature change to ensure it is within the recommended limits for your car. Not being properly inflated can affect handling, fuel efficiency and safety.
Look for cracks, bulges, or other signs of damage, and replace any tyres that appear worn beyond their safe limit.
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Related Reading: How To Keep Your Brand New Cars Tyres In The Best Condition
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Check Your Wiper Blades
Your windscreen picks up a lot of dirt and debris over the winter months, making your wiper blades work extremely hard to ensure you always have full visibility. This causes them to become worn over time, so it is a sensible decision to check them to ensure they still work to a high level at the front and rear of the vehicle without streaking,
If there are signs of damage or they do not provide full coverage of clearing the screen, replace them, they are not expensive.
Check Your Brakes
Your brakes are a crucial safety component of your car, so you need them to be performing at the highest of levels. If you notice a squeaking or grinding sound when applying pressure to the brakes, it is most likely they need repairing.
You may not feel like it is much of an issue, but getting them checked out early means you stop the risk of them working at a dangerous level, and can fix any issues before they get worse, and the repair costs significantly increase.
Check Your Fluids
Your car requires many fluids to run, ranging from steering fluids to brake fluids. Often, people do not realise their fluids are running low until it is too late, therefore it is wise to check all the fluids fairly often so you don’t get caught out and cause damage to your car.
You should also check your wiper fluid, as driving without it can impair your view through the windscreen, and it is also a legal offence, so could land you a fine.
Check Your Engine Oil
Maintaining the correct level of engine oil is essential as oil lubricates, cleans, cools and protects the moving parts of your engine. It can prevent your engine from seizing up and breaking down.
After a lot of cold weather your engine will have taken a hit as it has needed to use more engine oil to work it’s components efficiently. Therefore a top up of engine oil is advisable as spring approaches. There is often a difference in the type of oil used during the colder months to the warmer months too. During the colder months, many cars use an oil that is thinner as it helps your car to start more efficiently. As the warmer weather approaches, it might be a good idea to change your engine oil to a thicker one as the car won’t need the help offered by the thinner one. Oil also becomes dirty over time, so fresh oil can help your engine run at optimum capacity, reducing the chance of a breakdown.
Now that you’ve got your car ready for spring, wait for a beautiful warm spring day and take a drive out and enjoy it.
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Related Reading: The Importance of Car Fluids: A Guide to Keeping Your Vehicle Running Smoothly
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Related Reading: Driving in the 4 seasons
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