How to get a car ready for spring?
The winter is coming to the end and car owners start getting their cars ready for a new season. What does it require to prepare a car for spring?
Changing snow tires for summer ones is not enough. Remember, careful preparation of the car will help to avoid sudden breakdowns, and thus further costly repairs. In recent years, winter seasons treated us not only with frosts but also with frequent thaws, which always leads to additional load on various automotive components and units. That's why the below-described measures should be taken to get the car ready for a new season.
Mandatory procedures
Tire changing.
Snow tires can be changed to summer ones when an average air temperature hits +5 °C. Summer tires, rims, and threads should be inspected, special attention should be paid to the tires wear-out. Small cuts can be repaired in a tire shop. Rims should be checked for deformation and then balanced.
Car body washing.
It is not enough just to wash a car when the winter is over. Paintwork should be thoroughly cleaned from the thawing chemicals. There is a special spray that will remove dirt from the painted surface of a car. Some other protective agents will protect the car paintwork from damage. A space under the hood should be also cleaned to remove the remaining chemicals and salts.
If traces of rust have been found after cleaning the body, remove them immediately and use a special agent to restore the paintwork.
Operation fluids check.
Pay attention to the condition of operation fluids in the car systems. Check the air filter. Rubber tubes and hoses often suffer deformation during winter. All wear components should be replaced.
Battery check.
As car batteries are exposed to high loads during wintertime, it is strongly recommended to check the density of electrolyte and condition of contact elements. In case there is rust on the contact terminals, it should be immediately removed.
Gasoline tank inspection.
In cars that are seldom used during wintertime, there can be condensate accumulated in a gasoline tank. If this is the case, remove it promptly.
Diagnostics of the undercarriage.
The undercarriage wears out more quickly in winter than in summer.Rubber and metal parts can become loose and distorted, chemicals accelerate wearing of rubber and metal parts and cause oxidation of brake calipers. Diagnostics carried out in a specialized service station, will help to find the trouble and restore the undercarriage.
Brake system check.
There should be no extraneous sounds during braking and the length of the brake path should remain the same. If there are any doubts as to the condition of the brake system, professional workshop diagnostics is required.
Air conditioner check.
Preventive scoring out of the cooling radiator, cleaning, and filling of air conditioner and filter change should be made after winter operation. The faultless AC system keeps a car interior cool in summer and prevents the car engine from overheating.
Care of rubber seals.
Special chemical treatment should be used to prevent wear-out of the door, trunk and hood rubber. This technique provides excellent protection against draughts and extraneous sounds in the car interior.
Use the services of reputable workshops only. Look out for those car services that use special diagnostic equipment in their work, for example, testers for alternators and starters, equipment for flushing and filling of AC systems, controllers for diagnostics of steering systems, etc.
