8 Car Checks for Spring

It is spring and time we've had a pretty mild winter this year, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to do to get your car ready for spring. Road grime, in all its forms, takes a pretty heavy toll on your poor car. Here's our checklist of 8 things to do to help you and your car have a pleasant spring.

1) Wash the undercarriage

Road grime, gravel, the snow and filth in the slush all contribute to problems underneath your car. There's moving parts under there that are exposed to the road, help keep them running smoothly by having it cleaned. Less grime means less wear-and-tear.

2) Wash the carpets and inside of doors

That same grime gets in your car. Have the carpet cleaned and wash down your car doors, especially the oft-neglected bottom of the door. The longer that stuff stays on the inside of your car the better the chances of it permanently leaving ugly stains.

3) Change your wiper blades

The more they're used, the faster they wear down. Road debris and other things hitting your windshield contribute heavily to the wear-and-tear on your poor windshield wipers. Despite any claims, they're really only there to remove water, anything else contributes to their wearing out.

4) Change your air filter

All that dust, dirt, and grime go into your ventilation system, and your engine's air intake system as well. Your air filter actually does a pretty good job of stopping it, but as it clogs up, not only does your engine avoid the debris, it gets deprived of vital air to help keep things running efficiently, like your gas mileage for example.

5) Check your tire pressure

Tire pressure fluctuates depending on the temperature, and tires simply lose tiny amounts of air over time. Low tire pressure affects both your gas mileage and the smoothness of your ride, not to mention the extra contribution to wearing down your tires. Get them pumped up to the manufacturer's specifications.

6) Check the alignment

Winter contributes to the road conditions, like pot holes. As your tires get banged around it can knock your alignment out a little, or a lot. This causes uneven wear on your tires, much more than from simply not rotating your tires, a bad alignment puts more wear on the thinner parts of your tires causing them to wear out much faster, and there's few things more dangerous to drive in than on worn out tires.

7) Check your fluid levels

Fluid checking is always a good idea, and it should be done on a regular basis, not matter how "reliable" your dashboard indicators are. Get those fluids topped off so your indicators don't have a reason to give you warning signs.

8) Have the drive and A/C belts inspected

Worn, old, and cracked belts can mean anything from your air conditioning not working to your car not driving. The cold contributes to the wear as does having road grime on the belts, rubbing against moving parts. Belts that are no longer tight can lead to poor gas mileage as well.

These simple, inexpensive checks can save you hundreds of dollars later on. We here at Broadway Imports are dedicated to keeping your car running in tip-top shape. Bring in your car today for its "Spring Checkup".

Please contact us for any auto service or repair you might have.

Schedule an appointment today!

Call us anytime at 503.282.0817

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