Does your spring cleaning include your vehicle?

Get your car ready for summer

You may not have had a chance to inspect your vehicle since you put your winter tires on. Well, now that winter is behind us, it’s time to give your car the care it needs.

1. Change your tires

To stay safe on the roads, change your snow tires to all-season or summer tires once you know that the warm weather is back for good.

It’s important to change your tires because winter tires aren’t designed for hot summer temperatures. They can even become a safety hazard by overheating and increasing the risk of a blowout.

Using winter tires in the spring and summer also increases your braking distances and wears the tires down prematurely, costing you more in the long run.

2. Have your vehicle inspected by a professional

Why not have it inspected while the tires are being changed? It’ll be up on the lift anyway.

All garages have a visual check and inspection plan covering multiple points under the hood and vehicle. This usually includes:

• Brakes, steering, suspension
• Battery charge, headlights and position lights
• Essential fluids like motor oil, transmission fluid and coolant

3. Give it a good clean

Even if you leave the technical stuff to your mechanic, you can still invest some time washing the winter grime off your car.

• Put winter equipment away (shovels, cables, blankets, traction aids)
• Give the carpets a thorough cleaning and vacuuming
• Wash and wax the body
• Clean the windows and plastic surfaces (to prevent discoloration and cracking)
• Check the condition of the vehicle body (it’s easy to repair minor chips)

Good reasons to take care of your car

At the end of the day, a little effort in the spring can pay dividends: your car will be cleaner, safer and more reliable. Keeping your car in good condition could even save you money on major repairs over the long-term.