13 Apr Preparing Your Car for Spring
Sick of winter? Yeah, we are too. Spring is here and yet we are still hearing some pretty cold forecasts! Here’s some ways Sunrise Auto in Lynn Ma can help erase the damage of the winter and prepare your car for those nice long warm-weather drives ahead!
Tires Make Your Car Go ‘Round
If you have winter radials and summer tires, now is the time to change them. If you roll around on year-round tires, make an appointment to have them rotated. We can rotate your tires when you have your oil changed.
We’ll check the tire pressure as well. A 10 degree Fahrenheit change in ambient temperature will change your tire pressure by about 1 pound per square inch. Under-inflation will cause your tires to wear out and reduce your gas mileage. Overinflation causes uneven wear at the center of the tire, leading to replacement sooner than normally needed.
Battery and Filters
We’ll inspect and clean your battery if needed, look at the contacts, and if there is a white corrosive build up, clean it. While we’re under there, we’ll check your air filter. While a dirty air filter doesn’t have a significant impact on gas mileage anymore, it can still prevent excessive wear and tear on your engine.
Oil and Fluid Changes For the Season
As we live in an area with exceptionally cold winters, we should change your oil’s viscosity. Going to a heavier weight oil during the summer will improve performance.We should change your oil weight to maintain performance as well. Of course, while you’re having your oil changed, we should change your filter as well.
We’ll inspect your coolant, brake, and steering fluids. If it’s been two years, we should have your radiator flushed as well.
Wiper Blades For The Rain.
We’ll inspect your windshield wipers next. You’ve been using them all winter long, so you want to make sure that the blades are still clearing your windshield (and rear window) properly. The lifespan of a windshield wiper blade is 6 months to a year, so now is a perfect time to inspect and replace them if needed. Check your wiper fluid pump and reservoir as well, refilling if needed.
Finally, get thee to a car wash.
Driving during the winter means that you’re driving through slush, snow, and road treatments. Those road treatments include salt, sand, or other things designed to make sure you don’t go skidding across the highway. Of course, while that’s great for keeping you safe, the treatments take a toll on the underside of your car. This stuff can cause corrosion, which leads to rusting, which can create long term damage to your car.
Take your car to a car wash and pay a little extra to get your undercarriage power washed.