Winter is over, but spring means vital vehicle maintenance
Winter can do a number on our vehicles, so we spoke with a mechanic to get inside tips for optimal spring maintenance.
“After winter driving, these components really need to be checked.”
Changing your tires over is probably top of mind but they should also be balanced and checked for tread wear and imperfections. However, don’t stop there.
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“The most important thing, really, is to check the steering, suspension and front end, and brakes because the winter is hard on those components," said Doug Bethune, automobile expert, in an interview with The Weather Network.
To get these properly checked, Bethune says you should see a wheel alignment specialist.
After a winter of driving in sub-zero temperatures, the sooner you get an oil change, the better, Bethune says, especially if you only drove for short distances.
Auto expert Doug Bethune working on a vehicle at his home in Chezzetcook, N.S. (Nathan Coleman/The Weather Network)
“If you’re doing a lot of short-trip city driving, you’re not getting the engine warmed up to temperature, which takes a good half-hour of driving or more. Then, the vapours stay in the oil. So, really, if they say, '5,000 or 8,000 kilometres recommended,' you should divide that by two,” said Bethune.
It’s also a good time to replace your windshield wiper blades.
“In the winter, particularly, you’re getting a lot of salt spray in the windows and road splash, and of course, that comes with dirt. If you continue to use wiper blades that don’t wipe clean, then the dirt stays with the wiper blade and you will scratch your windshield," said Bethune.
If you’ve got headlights with a plastic cover, they can get foggy and dull after the winter. That interferes with your vision and how many lumens of light that will reach the road in front of you.
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Bethune advises to get it cleaned and to put a clear coat over it, so it won’t oxidize and get dull again. It is a cheaper option than replacing the full headlight.
He says you should get an undercoating annually, as well, to help prevent salt damage.
“If you talk to the technician that’s undercoating the vehicle, you can tell him look, 'I’ll pay you a little extra [money] if you coat the frame.' Mainly, they just do the body parts," said Bethune.