There are plenty of chores to be done at the start of another spring. You may be raking winter debris off your lawn or making sure your gutters are still clear. However, most people neglect to prepare their car for spring. Tasks like replacing studded snow tires with summer tires are obvious, but there is plenty of other work needed to keep your car running at its best.
Schedule an oil change before the weather starts getting very warm, especially if you don’t use synthetic oils. If you check your car’s manual, you’ll find it likely calls for different grades of oil based on the temperature. Colder temperatures usually require oil with a different viscosity. Many people neglect oil changes in winter because the cold weather makes it more of a hassle; fresh oil will help to clean out any impurities that have accumulated in the engine.
Check your tire pressure. AAA reports that tire pressure can change by as much as1 PSI per 10 degrees ambient temperature change. This means if the outdoor temperature goes from near zero in January to the 70′s by late spring your tire pressure can increase by 7 PSI. This leads to overinflated tires, which may cause other problems such as reduced tire life and poor wet weather traction. On the other hand, you may find that too much air has leaked out of the tires over the winter, so you’ll need to inflate them. You can find the proper tire pressure on the inside of the driver’s side door or in your car’s manual.
Once the snow disappears, give your car a good wash. Road salt can greatly increase corrosion, so be sure to wash the underside of your car and the wheel wells where salt can accumulate. If you don’t have the time to give it a proper washing, a quick spray-down with the hose will remove the worst of the salt until you can give it a thorough washing later. The winter elements likely removed last fall’s wax job, so be sure to apply a new coat to help protect your car as well.
