How to Get Your Car Ready for Spring
We are exactly 18 days away from spring, not that it matters when it comes to Maryland weather. I’m sure we best expect some snow, 90-degree days, and some heavy spring rain throughout the duration of Spring 2018. Regardless of what good ol’ unpredictable Maryland weather decides to bring us, there are a number of key actions that you should take to prepare your vehicle for the Spring season. These are non-costly, simple tasks that you can do yourself or schedule the Krietz Service Team to take care of for you.
Wash the Undercarriage
After a winter full of slush, salt, and brutally cold temperatures, it is imperative that you take action and get your vehicle the care it both needs and deserves. The first key action that you should take following the winter season is washing your car’s undercarriage. Throughout the winter season, your car has more than likely been exposed to road salt. This is an issue, as road salt tends to accumulate and can corrode the undercarriage. If not taken care of properly, this can lead to rust, which, in the long run, will make your car harder to sell and more dangerous to drive. Whether you wash your vehicle yourself, or prefer to take it to a car wash spend the extra time, or money, and invest in an undercarriage wash.
Clean Your Vehicle’s Interior and Exterior
As previously mentioned, road salt is an absolute detriment to your car, namely, in this case, its paint. It will lead to clear coat corrosion and faded body paint. A professional or machine car wash won’t be too costly, but might I recommend a full detail. It will be a bit more expensive, but following the winter months, it can be essential to prolonging your car’s exterior. We offer extensive detailing packages (which can be found here) at affordable rates, and our professional team will have your vehicle looking as good as the day you pulled it off the lot!
Our detailing packages also include a deep interior clean. Salt can also eat away at some of your vehicle’s interior fabrics, so it is important to clean the inside of your vehicle as well. At the very minimum, you should have the interior of your vehicle vacuumed, detailed, and steam cleaned to ensure these salts don’t devour the interior materials of your vehicle as well.
Replace Wiper Blades
Your vehicle’s wiper blades take a brutal beating during winter moths, so it is in your best interest to have them replaced as the winter season comes to an end. Wiper blades are cheap, and can be replaced yourself with ease. RainX offers a useful tool on its website (which can be found by clicking here) that will tell you exactly what size blades your vehicle requires. As you may know, springtime brings with it a ton of rainy days, so make sure you have optimal visibility prior to the coming of the spring monsoons.
Check Your Tire Pressure
Remember in science class when you learned that hot air rises and cool air sinks? Tire pressure follows this basic principle. During the cold months, your tire pressure will decrease do to cooler air. As the weather gets warmer, the tire pressure will increase, just as it does when you drive the vehicle and the tires heat up. After consistent cool months, it is important to check your tire pressure and ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated to the manufacturer’s specifications. Chances are that your vehicle’s tires will be underinflated. You can check each tire’s pressure yourself with the necessary tire pressure gauge or have your local mechanic check it for you. This is as simple as filling your tires up with air, by using an air pump at home or at a local gas station. Underinflated tires pose a risk as they increase the likelihood of a flat, decrease handling and drivability, and negatively impact gas mileage. This one is too easy, so get it checked and taken care off.
Inspect and Top Off Fluids
Regardless of the season, it is important to check your fluids. These fluids include the power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. The fluid that will most likely need topped off is the windshield wiper fluid. As salt particles accumulated on your windshield, you likely used this fluid to clean it off, probably a few times. This is easy to check and top off yourself, and you can get the necessary fluid at most auto parts store. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, however, a local auto repair shop will do it for you, and it won’t break the bank.
Reminder: if you can’t remember the last time you got your vehicle’s oil changed, you should probably change it…
These actions and services are crucial to prolonging the life of your vehicle, especially after a long, harsh winter season. Necessary, yet easy and affordable. At Krietz Auto we can take care of these and more for you at a price that will fit your budget. Our professional, highly-experienced service and detail team will rid your car of any threats the winter weather may have posed on it!
Be sure to keep us in mind for any and all things service, detailing, aftermarket, and sales. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment for pre-spring prep or for any other service needs click here.
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