Getting Your Car Ready For Spring

 

How to Get Your Cars Ready for Spring

We’re finally at the end of a long, rough winter. Time to look forward to long drives with the windows down and the music up. But preparing your car for your next road trip means more than giving it a wash and a wax. You need to be sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape, inside and out.

 

Use this checklist to get your car ready for safe, sunny days.

 

1. Fluid levels: top off engine oil, power steering, brake fluid, transmission fluid, windshield washer fluid, and antifreeze.
2. Hoses and belts: Look for cracks, fraying, or excessive wear, and replace as necessary.
3. Battery: Look for clean, tight, corrosion-free connections and plenty of juice.
   Signs of a weak battery: dimming headlights or interior lights; power windows that take longer than usual to go up and down.

4. Brakes: Get brake linings, rotors, and drums inspected.
   Trouble signs: pulling to one side when you hit the brakes, squeaking or grinding noises and a brake pedal that feels too soft.
5. Exhaust system: Look for leaks, damage, and broken supports.
6. Oxygen sensor: Replace this sensor every 30K to 50K miles.Tip: A faulty oxygen sensor can cause too much gas to be used – cutting your mileage by up to 40%
7. Schedule a tune-up.Tip: Regular car maintenance, such as tune-ups, oil changes, air filter maintenance, and proper tire inflation, can save 23 gallons of gasoline per year on average.[i]

8. HVAC: Do the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning work properly?Tip: Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10%—saving up to 55 gallons of gasoline, or about three trips to the gas station, each year.
9. Steering and suspension: Check shock absorbers, struts, ball joints, and other structural elements.
10. Tires: Fill tires to optimal psi. Check tread and look for wear, bulges, and bald spots. Replace worn tires. Uneven wear could mean you need an alignment.Tip: Keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure can improve your gas mileage by around 3%—saving up to 18 gallons of gasoline per year.
11. Visibility: Clean wipers and replace worn-out ones. Clean head and tail lights, inside and out.

 

Schedule a service appointment at Nutley Kia Service & Parts Department>> 

 

Resources:

1. http://www.carcare.org/2013/04/april-is-national-car-care-month-spring-into-action/
2. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/car-care-spring-maintenance-check-list/
3. italladdsup.gov/downloads/Spring_FactSheet.doc

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