Spring is around the corner, and with that beautiful weather, many like to rid themselves of the cold winter vibes by freshening up their ride! Here are some tips to spring clean your vehicle and get it in tip top shape for the new season!
1) Detail Your Ride: It is very important especially if you live in an area that gets snow in the winter, to regularly get your vehicle and its undercarriage washed to rinse off the salt from the roads. In the springtime when it starts getting warmer, you want to do a more detailed clean. This means either giving it a thorough hand wash and using a pressure washer on the undercarriage, or simply take your vehicle to a reputable vehicle detailer in your area. Getting a detailed clean in the spring is important, but a professional seal on the vehicle using high quality wax, or even better a 3M ceramic coat will ensure your vehicle will not only have a glorious shine but will be protected!
2) Maintenance: Spring is a very important time to do regular maintenance, as the temperatures change outside, adjustments are always a good idea. Checking your vehicle's fluids and rubber hose lines (oil, coolant, transmission oil, brake fluid, and windshield washer fluid) is always recommended. If you are good about staying on top of your regular dealer-recommended oil changes, then this should be easy as these items are usually always checked during a dealership's multi-point inspection process. It's important to check these items in the spring because salt is corrosive, and brake lines can crack, along with other lines to your coolant, and even your windshield washer fluid. Checking your oil and transmission oil levels is just a really good idea... because hey... those keep your vehicle running! Just do it ok? LOL.
3) Tires: Check your tires! Visually inspect your tires to ensure there isn't any dry rot, that there is adequate tread left. Also check your tire pressure! When the temperatures rise, air expands, and your tire pressures will naturally increase. If the tires are wearing down, or wearing unevenly, it's best to just replace them. I'm a huge fan of always changing all 4 tires at the same time, but if you can’t do that due to budgetary constraints, you want at the very least to change them in pairs. If you change them in pairs, ensure you are replacing them with the same exact tires as the tires you are leaving on the vehicle to ensure all 4 tires are the same. If you change 2 tires for a different brand of tire, your vehicle may handle worse as each wheel will respond differently due to tire wear, rubber consistency, and tread.
FUN FACT: Don't buy into the "Nitrogen fill" tires options that are available at many dealerships and automotive repair shops. The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen already and only 21% oxygen. The "selling" factor in a Nitrogen fill is that it fills your tires with 100% nitrogen, which doesn't fluctuate with temperature like oxygen does. The problem is that for this to actually work, they would need to literally vacuum out all of the normal air out of your tire, maintain that seal, and then refill it with 100% nitrogen. Simply deflating your tires to the recommended 3psi and then reinflating with nitrogen will still leave a significant enough amount of oxygen in the airspace where it doesn't make a noticeable difference.
