SPRING CAR CARE TIPS
April is car care month
and with the arrival of spring, there are several important items you should
take care of with your vehicle before taking a drive to enjoy the spring
weather and these tips will also save you money.
1. Get an oil change.
Changing your oil every 3,000 miles will increase the life of your vehicle and
it will also perform better. After a long, hard winter, your vehicle will
appreciate it. Remember that if your vehicle is over 100,000 miles to look into
high mileage oil. Also, do your homework on various places to do oil changes.
Some places might tell you that you need a lot of unnecessary work. On most
vehicles, an oil change can be done by you. But, check with a trained
professional and your vehicle manual before blindly attempting an oil change.
2. Check all your fluid
levels. You might not have wanted to stand in the cold weather to check your
fluid levels as often as you should. You might be low on oil, antifreeze or
windshield wiper fluid.
3. Use a high quality
gas treatment. I recommend Lucas fuel treatment. It will clean injectors or
carburetors and keep your fuel system running the way it should. Again, this
will save you money in the long run. You should do these treatments every
couple of months.
4. Replace your fuel
filter. If you replace your fuel filter, you will get better gas mileage and
with the price of gas, this is a very good thing to do. In turn this will save
you money when you take spring road trips and leave you a little extra spending
cash.
5. Check the belts.
Replace them if they are cracked or dry-rotted. If they break, they could cause
significant damage to your motor. A new motor is not a cheap fix.
6. Get your tires
rotated and balanced. Make sure the tires are inflated to the appropriate PSI
(pounds per square inch). The wear and tear of the winter roads can play havoc
with your tires and wear them down. The side of the tires tells the appropriate
PSI. When in doubt, go to the local car store and ask. You can even pick up a
tire gage. Properly inflated and balanced tires will also improve gas mileage
and save you money in the long run.
7. Do a thorough outside
wash of your truck and make it sparkly clean. Make sure you pay extra care to
wash the under carriage. Some states use salt and this can rust out vehicles a
lot faster. Grime in general is not good for your vehicle and will shorten the
life span of your vehicle. It could also end up costing you unnecessary money
to fix when it begins to rust.
8. Don't just clean the
outside. Spring clean the inside as well. As much as you attempted to kick the
snow and mud off your feet before entry, doesn't mean you got it all off.
Chances are you have muddied up the floor and other areas of your vehicle as
well. When cleaning the inside, don't forget to clean the windows as well.
Often, times the windshield gets very dirty.
9. Check your wipers.
Again, winter can be rough on your windshield wipers and with the April
showers; you will want good wipers on your vehicle.
10. Buy your vehicle a
gift after the harsh weather. I suggest a new air freshener. The packages of
air fresheners are often cheaper and you have a couple when the other one wears
out. Also, if you leave the bad half way on, it will make the life of the air freshener
go longer. That way your car will look good and smell good also. Perhaps even some
new car mats if they’re worn from winter use.
