Car Maintenance To Prepare for the Spring

There are few things more damaging to your car than driving in wintery conditions for several months. Between the cold, ice, snow, and salt, your car tends to deteriorate at a rapid pace during the winter. That is why it is important to perform the necessary car maintenance to prepare for the spring. Go into the new season with a refreshed car to safely take you through the spring, summer, and fall.

Test Your Battery

Cold weather places a lot of stress on your car’s battery, so once the weather begins to warm up, you should have it checked. See if it is still working normally with no hiccups in its charge. Inspect all the points of connection to see if any corrosion is beginning to form. If you do find that the battery is starting to worsen, whether it is due to corrosion or a faulty charge, you should replace it before it dies on you somewhere inconvenient.

Look at Your Tires

Winter is especially tough on your car’s tires. Tire pressure fluctuates wildly due to the cold, and your tires can experience accelerated wear due to road conditions. Inspect the tread depth of your tires to see if they are still within an acceptable range. The winter weather will greatly reduce your ability to properly control your car, and tending to your tires is just one of several ways to improve your car’s handling come spring.

Switch Your Windshield Wipers

Your wiper blades will face a lot of depreciation because of the winter, affecting their ability to clear your windshield of rainwater and other obscuring hazards. The worse the wipers are, the harder it will be to see the road clearly in adverse conditions. They will need to be replaced in preparation for the springtime showers that will come.

Check Your Fluids

Make sure your coolant, brake fluid, oil, and transmission fluid are all still in working order. See if they are still at optimal capacity and that they are still able to keep your car running smoothly. They may need to be serviced before the spring, so make sure you know what the situation is with all your car’s fluids.

Take Action Sooner Rather Than Later

The earlier you perform the typical spring maintenance for cars, the safer you will be. It can be easy to put off necessary repairs until later; we all become accustomed to the worsened driving abilities of our car during winter. But your car is most likely not driving at its best after a harsh winter, which is why springtime inspections should be your number one priority.