By Makenzie Crutcher on March 28, 2022 in Life Hacks
Each season and its weather impacts your car in very different ways. Ultraviolet light damage from too many sunny days, oxidation from salty beachside roads, mold and mildew from constant rain, and more. We usually recommend at least two main maintenance checks for each season:
- Spring: Replace your windshield wipers and check coolant levels
- Summer: Test headlights and taillights and build a summertime emergency kit
- Fall: Investigate filters and test tire pressure and tread
- Winter: Complete a battery review and build your wintertime emergency kit
Today, we’re going to go into deeper detail for spring car maintenance and cleaning below.
Spring Car Maintenance Tips
Let’s walk through each maintenance element, one by one.
- Oil
First up, an oil change. AAA recommends changing your oil in intervals of 5,000-7,000 miles. Depending on your driving habits and conditions, in addition to your vehicle make, model, and age, you might be due for an oil change this spring. Your mechanic will most likely peek at the oil filter while they’re working on it, but if not, it’s smart to confirm. Oil and oil filters help your engine run efficiently and effectively!
- Battery
Winter WEARS on our cars’ batteries. Between the cold, snow, and randomly scattered warm days, your battery might be due for a refresh. Local auto shops should be able to perform a quick (and hopefully free) battery test to determine if it’s time to replace.
- Tire
Checking your tire thread before winter is crucial. Bald tires will leave you slippin’ and slidin’ all over the road if there’s any trace of ice or snow. So going into spring, be sure to investigate tire pressure and tread. Tire pressure target numbers can be found on a sticker inside the driver’s door, and air fill up stations can be found at local gas stations. For tire tread, we all know the ole penny test – place the penny upside down in the tread groove. If you can see Abe’s whole head, it's time for some fresh wheels.
- Wipers
Windshield wipers, tap in. Wipers are like every other element of your car, and they take a serious beating over the winter months. If you notice streaking or squeaking, it’s probably time to replace your blades. Rain-X recommends replacing wiper blades every six months to a year to optimize visibility. Plus, you’ll want to check your wiper fluid levels and refill before all the birds and pollen pop off. With the spring showers sneaking up on us, do not skip this step!
- Lights
Hold on, we’re almost through our checklist. The bulbs might need replacing or they may just need a good hearty wash of the plastic. Either way, lights are very important for driving at night and in fog! So, grab the toothpaste, towel, toothbrush, water, and sponge, and get to work scrubbing.
- Clean
We’re about to dive right into cleaning, so stay the course.
Spring Cleaning for Your Car
Your spring-cleaning mojo shouldn’t stop in your home. Take that same fiery cleaning energy outside to your car because, let’s be honest, it definitely needs it! Plus, the weather warming up makes for perfect outdoor cleaning conditions.
- Start by decluttering and organizing.
- Wash floor mats.
- Vacuum your seats, floors, and all the random crevices around the seats.
- Wipe down any leather and upholstery.
- Grab your glass cleaner and clean all the windows.
- Complete a full wash, polish, and wax on the exterior.
- Make a natural air freshener to keep everything smelling fresh.
All your hard work is worth it, trust us. Keeping your ride clean helps preserve the interior and exterior of the ride, maintaining its resale value.
Conclusion
It’s important to take care of your car because you want it to take care of you on the road, right? Treat your car to a little spring cleaning and maintenance on the next sunny day!
Looking for other seasonal maintenance tips? We’ve got you covered.