When making the transition from winter to spring, we realize that not only are our own bodies in desperate need of a tune-up, but so are our vehicles. The ice, salt, sand, cold temperatures and rough driving conditions have taken a toll on every aspect of our cars and trucks. This is the ideal time to attend to tires, tuneups, exhaust systems, oil, brakes and detailing and transmission.
Presently, most people are taking great interest in the upkeep of their vehicles. Not only do they want to keep their cars for the time being, but they want to minimize all unnecessary expenses by keeping them in optimal condition.
"Within our economic climate, proper maintenance is important because everyone is not at liberty to buy a new car," says Ron Speck, service manager at Canadian Tire Brockville. "The better you maintain your vehicle, the more groceries you can buy."
The first concern should be the tires, especially replacing the winter tires with summer tires.
"Don't put it off," says Speck. "If you keep your snow tires on too long once the snow has dispersed, the dry terrain will wear out the treads aggressively. You want them to be in the best possible condition for next winter."
Dean Billings, the owner of Billings Automotive, suggests that mid-March is usually a good time to remove the tires.
"Hold off until you're pretty sure that there will be no more snow," says Billings, who notes that winter tires have a softer rubber than other tires and you don't want your winter tire investment to go down the drain.
"And tires need to be rotated regularly to ensure uniform tire wear," he said. "Just remember to book ahead because it gets very busy at this time of year"
Being "tire smart" involves properly inflating your tires.
"This improves mileage, reduces greenhouse emissions, tread wear and increases driving safety," says Billings.
A change in air temperature causes a change in air pressure.
"Often, people rely on visual checks which are not accurate enough to tell whether the tires are under or overinflated," says Speck. "If you are unsure about tire inflation levels, check your vehicle placard, owner's manual or ask a professional. The best way to read your tire pressure is with a good quality tire gauge."
The winter has left salt and sand in the upholstery, seat covers, convertible tops and rugs.
"Detailing makes your car look nice and is important for keeping its resale value," says Billings. "If you can afford it, there are great detailers in the area. If you want to do it yourself, get a shop vac and a scrub brush and clean it all up. I do recommend cleaning the salt and grime out from the underbody though and its hard to get in and under there yourself. Salt build-up can lead to erosion and rusting. There are automated car washes that that have an undercarriage spray available for that particular task. Detailing costs money, but it's worth it."
It is also a good time to check and clean the brake pads and disks so that your brakes last longer. Not having to replace these parts can save you a pretty penny. Also, change any fluids that might need to be replaced. If you've been using a thinner viscosity oil for winter, go back to a thicker type for warm weather.
"One thing that car owners often forget about is servicing their transmission," says Al Jonker, owner of Strictly Transmission.
The main reason for this oversight, he says, is that changing the transmission fluid and replacing the filter is often based on mileage, rather than season.
But winter is hard on transmission fluid and engine oil and can easily deplete them.
The manufacturers advise different points in the mileage readings to change the fluids, but when servicing your car, you should also be checking for leaks, wear, failures and seize-ups.
"A lot of manufacturers make their own type of transmission fluid, so it is important to respect that and make sure that the right transmission fluid is placed in the car," said Jonker. "Choose a shop with qualified technicians that is properly eqipped to perform the diagnostics.
"Because of today's technology, cars are more complex but more reliable and long-lasting with good maintenance. The transmission is controlled by an on-board computer. The computer monitors everything, so you need a qualified tecnician with the technology to read your car's computer," says Jonker. "We check to see how the transmission is functioning and if there are any problems."
A vehicle that is well taken care of costs less in the long run. But make sure that whatever shop you go to understands and has access to all the service updates and what's involved with fixing your particular model.
"Technicians should stay up to date with courses, seminars, on-line courses and service bulletins to keep up with the ever changing technology," says Jonker. "Naturally it comes at a cost, but that's what is needed to be on top of the game."
Everyone loves a fresh start in the spring.
"It doesn't matter where you go to fix your car, as long as you trust that they have the equipment, knowledge, information and people who know what they're doing," says Billings. "Everyone's on a budget."
Source: recorder.ca
