10 Tips to Prepare Your Car For Summer

If you’re like most, you’re excited for spring and summer to arrive to enjoy the sunshine, patio time and the best part: SUMMER ROAD TRIPS! After the cold wet harshness of winter, your car will need to be prepared for the summer months to ensure maximum efficiency and safety during our warmer seasons.

By seasonally maintaining and preparing your vehicle, you can keep it running properly and safely in the long term. With that in mind, here are some spring cleaning tips to prepare your car for the summer months:

1. Swap out your winter snow tires for summer or all-season tires.
2. Check your tire pressure. Cold weather can reduce the air pressure and under-inflated tires can reduce fuel economy. Be sure to check your tires and inflate them to the recommended pressure. (Recommended tire pressure can usually be found right on the side of the tire.)
3. Check your wheel alignment. Proper wheel alignment promotes safety and proper handling of your vehicle. If you find that your car is pulling to one side or the car doesn’t drive in a straight line when the wheel is centered, have the alignment checked. This will also help prevent your tires from wearing unevenly and prematurely.
4. Check your brakes. Wet and slippery winter conditions can give your brakes a good workout and road salt can erode your brake pads at a quicker rate. Ensure your safety by having your brakes checked before loading up the car for that first summer road trip.
5. Check and clean your battery. The heat of the summer months can be just as damaging to your battery as the deep freeze of winter. The heat can overcharge your battery and cause the battery fluid to evaporate, which reduces the life of the battery.
6. Check your air filter. It is recommended that you change your air filter every 19,000 km or so, however after the winter your filter may be clogged by salt, dirt and debris. Replacing your air filter can help improve gas mileage, so it’s worth a quick look.
7. Top off your coolant. It’s important to ensure that your car is properly cooled when the weather starts getting warmer. Make sure you only open the coolant cap when the car is cool to avoid injury.
8. Replace your windshield wiper blades. Sand, salt and grit from winter roads can damage your wiper blades. Replace them to ensure that you will have a clean windshield and can see where you’re going during the upcoming spring showers.
9. Check your air conditioning system to make sure it still works properly after several months of not using it. If your a/c system isn’t working properly, it can drain the engine causing it to use more fuel – something nobody wants, especially with today’s gas prices!
10. Spring cleaning! Remove your snow chains, ice scrapers, salt/sand bags, blankets and other winter accessories from your vehicle to make room for your summer gear. Pull out the vacuum and clean the winter salt and dirt from the carpets. Wash the outside of the car with proper carwash soap and avoid washing it in direct sunlight to minimize water spots. Make sure you spray the underside of the vehicle as well to remove any excess salt and other gunk that may have collected under there.

Contact us online today for more advice on seasonal maintenance for your vehicle, or call us at (250) 475-2000 to book an appointment and we’ll get you and your car all sorted out for the upcoming summer and road trip season.