Car Maintenance Tips to Take You from Winter to Spring

Wisconsin winters are tough. Whilst most people take the time to prepare their vehicle for the harsh winter months ahead, few consider the importance of making preparations for spring. The moment the temperature gauge starts to creep up, you should think about booking a visit with your local car repair shop to give your trusty vehicle a little TLC.

Following a regular car maintenance schedule through the seasons will ensure your vehicle is ready to face the conditions ahead whether you’ll be negotiating icy roads or driving in humid or arid conditions.

Car repair shops offer a comprehensive range of seasonal checks that will prepare your car, truck or any other vehicle you drive for the months of driving ahead. Truck maintenance is especially vital as these vehicles must be fit for purpose and transport their load safely.

Car Maintenance Schedule for the Spring and Summer

Springtime is a time of reawakening and renewal following the cold winter months. Attending to the maintenance guidelines below will ensure your vehicle emerges from the winter in roadworthy condition. A well maintained vehicle will give you years more reliable service and be less prone to major faults.

•Swap out tires – If you’ve been using winter tires, it’s time to swap these out for all-season tires. Check each tire is inflated and balanced and also ensure you have a well-maintained spare tire available. Any car repair shop should be able to help you with checking your tire pressure and ensuring your tire tread is sufficient and most importantly, legal.

•Check your brakes – Icy roads mean heavy braking and that can put your brake pads under a lot of pressure. If you’ve noticed brake squeal or any grinding noises when hitting the brakes, you need to get them checked as soon as possible.

•Top up your fluids – A well-lubricated vehicle is a happy vehicle. So many engine parts rely on liquids to keep them cool, oiled and working at optimum levels. Again, booking a seasonal check at your local car repair shop will identify any problems with fluid levels. Engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, and windscreen washer fluid are all essential to the performance of your vehicle and levels need to be checked and topped up at regular intervals. Over the winter, freezing temperatures can cause these fluids to become dull and ineffective so a complete drain out and top up with fresh fluids is recommended.

•Automatic transmission – vehicles with automatic transmissions need special consideration when refreshing fluids. Overheating is a real problem with these vehicles and it’s therefore important to keep vehicle fluids at the right level.

•Air-conditioning and ventilation – You probably haven’t had your air-conditioning on during the winter months so it’s a good idea to have a complete service of the system to ensure it works perfectly on those hot days.

•General component checks – lights, seatbelts, dashboard warning lights, wiper blades, spark plugs and hoses should be checked for general wear and tear and replaced or repaired if faults are found.

Keeping your vehicle in top condition throughout the year is important. By booking your vehicle into one of the leading car repair shops in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, you can ensure your car maintenance schedule is taken care of. You can sign up to our car repair shop mailing list today to receive the latest discounts and coupons.