Photo: istockphoto.com
Spring is the perfect time to give your car some attention to keep it running smoothly. With the cold and snow behind you and the prospect of spring or summer road trips, you want to make sure your car is safe to drive and ready to get you from point A to point B. Although no dash lights to indicate the need for service, there are still several basic maintenance tasks required that will help you save money in the long run by avoiding more serious repairs in the future. Plus, if something goes wrong, you can catch it before it becomes a bigger problem or leaves you stranded on the side of the road. Read on to identify some key car maintenance tasks to perform this spring.
RELATED: 13 Tricks Every Car Owner Should Know
1. Do an oil change
Photo: istockphoto.com
If you haven’t had your oil changed recently, early spring is a good time to schedule one. Keeping up with routine oil changes, usually every 5,000 to 7,000 miles depending on your car, helps your car continue to run properly. Oil changes are also important to prevent debris from building up in the engine and drawing too much heat from the combustion chamber, which can lead to more serious problems. If you know how to change the oil in a car, you may be able to do this task yourself. Otherwise, take your car to a service center for this important routine maintenance task.
RELATED: 7 Car Sounds You Should Never Ignore
2. Check the tire pressure
Photo: istockphoto.com
Tire pressure often drops during the winter. When the temperatures are cold outside, it can cause your tires to lose several pounds of pressure. Keeping an eye on your tire pressure and making sure it’s not too low can help prevent your tires from overheating and blowing out. If this happens, not only could it put you at risk of an accident, but you’ll end up wasting money on your car buying new tires that would otherwise have been unnecessary.
RELATED: The Best Tire Pressure Gauges for Car Owners
3. Check the windshield wipers
Photo: istockphoto.com
Now that the ice and snow are behind you, it’s also a good idea to check your windshield wiper blades to see if they need to be replaced. The winter months can cause a lot of damage to windshield wipers. If you think about it, they often get stuck with ice, exposed to cold temperatures, or cut by the scraper while cleaning the snow-covered windshield. This can cause the wipers to crack or bend. If you see any signs of damage, it’s time to buy a new set of wiper blades. Fortunately, replacing your windshield wipers is a relatively simple task that you should be able to do yourself by following the instructions in your vehicle’s manual.
4. Test all lights
Photo: istockphoto.com
Testing your car’s lights is a simple, yet important task that is often overlooked. Driving with your lights off can be dangerous. Plus, it could get you pulled over and even end up with a ticket. Take a few minutes of your time to turn on the vehicle’s lights and turn signals and walk around to check that everything is working. You may want to enlist the help of a friend to stand behind the car while you press the brake pedal to make sure the brake lights are working. Once you’re done checking the exterior lights, don’t forget to make sure all the interior lights are working as well.
RELATED: 13 Essential Tools for DIY Auto Maintenance
5. Wash your car
Photo: istockphoto.com
Washing your car does more than make it look clean and nice. It also helps remove surface debris that could be causing damage to the finish. Cleaning your car in early spring is especially important after driving on salt-covered roads during the winter. Salt can damage paint or cause metal to corrode. Whether you decide to wash your car yourself or take it to a car wash, make sure the undercarriage is also cleaned to remove salt and other debris that coats it.
RELATED: 14 Things You Never Thought You Had in Your Car
6. Wax your car
Photo: istockphoto.com
After you’ve washed your car, it’s time to wax it. Adding a coat of wax will provide a layer of protection for your car’s paint from rain, tree droppings, bird droppings, UV rays and other elements that could damage the finish. If possible, try to keep up with waxing your car at least once a month to continue protecting the finish.
RELATED: 9 Ways to Maximize Storage in Your Car
7. Clean the interior of your car
Photo: istockphoto.com
Now that you’ve taken the time to clean and wax the outside of your car, it’s time to move on to the inside of your car. During the winter, it’s easy for our cars to take over sweaters, jackets, blankets, snow and ice scrapers, and other items we didn’t want to bring inside because it was so cold. Now that it’s warmer outside, take a few minutes to clean your car and put things where they belong. After getting rid of trash and anything that doesn’t belong in the vehicle, dust and vacuum and clean the inside of the windows.
RELATED: 15 Cool Hacks for Keeping Your Car Clean
8. Replace the cabin filter
Photo: istockphoto.com
Cabin filters should be replaced every 15,000 to 30,000 miles or so. If it’s been longer since you replaced yours, add this task to your spring maintenance to-do list. If the filter is dirty, it will let more pollen, dust and other allergens into your car. Keeping them out of your car is important to your health, but it will be especially important if you have spring allergies.
RELATED: 12 Maintenance Mistakes That Shorten Your Car’s Life
9. Test the air conditioner
Photo: istockphoto.com
In many parts of the country, spring temperatures aren’t warm enough to warrant turning on the air conditioner. However, it won’t be long until summer hits and you want to be sure your car’s air conditioning is working. Take a few minutes to turn the air conditioner on full blast and make sure it’s blowing cold air. If the AC isn’t working properly, you’ll have time to fix it before you really need it in a few months.
RELATED: The Best Battery Testers
10. Check the battery
Photo: istockphoto.com
Cold and icy weather can cause your battery to drain faster. You’ll want to check your battery in the spring to make sure it’s not near the end of its useful life. The last thing you want is for your car to not start when you really need to go to work or anywhere else. To test a battery, you will need a multimeter. Connect the red lead of the multimeter to the positive terminal of the battery and the black lead to the negative terminal. Check the reading. Consider being proactive and replacing the battery if the number displayed is below 12.4 volts.
