Springtime Car Care Tips

Springtime Car Care Tips

Spring is  bit of a moving target in Colorado … we can’t always depend on the calendar when Mother Nature has her way sometimes!  Regardless, just like you can winterize your car, you can “springerize” your car (although the word isn’t nearly as catchy as “winterize”). During the winter your car takes a hefty beating and needs some of the special love and checkups that are difficult to do in the cold of winter to detect problems that changing temperatures may make worse.  Having your car looked over by a qualified technician will insure smooth running through Spring, Summer and into next Fall and Winter.

Check Your Tires

When you cool most matter the atoms slow and become compacted and solid. When matter is heated the atoms expand and move more quickly. The air in your tires is no different. It becomes compressed in cold weather meaning that you need more air to reach the same pressure. In warm weather you need significantly less. As the temperature begins to rise you’ll find that your tire pressure will steadily rise. With this increase in pressure the balance of your tires may change as well. At the beginning of spring make sure that your tires are properly balanced and monitor them closely during the first week or so to make sure that the tire pressure is continually correct.

When you’re monitoring your tire pressure it’s important to remember that the tire pressure recommended for your car is usually found on the inside of your car’s driver side door, not on the tire itself. Also remember that “cold tire pressure” does not refer to cold temperature tire pressure but the pressure it should be at when your car has been stationary for a while (just like you check your oil after it has been off for a while).

Belts and Hoses

During winter, just like everything, your rubber hoses and belts will tend to become stiff. Frequent changes in temperature from near zero to possibly above 100 can wreak havoc on malleable, temperature sensitive materials like rubber. This can cause them to crack and leak, ruining your car during the summertime. The best practice is to keep an eye on your belts and your hoses.

Generally your hoses will be off of your radiator, which is usually toward the front of your car. Your car’s belts are usually just off the engine block. You don’t have to remove them or even touch them. Simply look for cracks or wear and change them if necessary.

Windshield Wipers

In the wintertime, unless you’re one of the few that puts their windshield wipers up before snow comes, your wipers will likely freeze to your windshield at some point. That, in addition to the constant wear and tear of use during winter snowstorms can cause your wipers, just like your hoses and belts, to crack and become problematic. We don’t have to tell you what a problem bad wipers are during a spring shower. Simply pull your wipers up and look at the rubber, making sure that they are not only in tact and not cracked, but still malleable and not stiff.

Suspension and Alignment

During the winter water will collect in cracks, wearing down the road, and expanding the cracks into big problems such as potholes. These potholes are going to be a nightmare for your suspension and alignment. The easiest way to check the integrity of your suspension and alignment is to simply come to Golden Triangle Auto Care. Call us at (303)573-1335, book your next appointment online or visit us at 1112 Speer Blvd. in Denver for any springtime preparations.

For more on Spring Car Care Tips, read these additional articles:

Spring Cleaning For Your Vehicle

Spring into Your Next Road Trip