Spring Maintenance
Winter weather can be tough on your car. Wintry weather can crack hoses and belts, salt can cause rust and engine fluids can be used up. It’s good practice to annually complete a spring maintenance check to reduce wear and tear and minimize your trips to the auto repair shop, and that’s why Chevrolet Buick GMC of Fairbanks is providing a list of common automotive car-care tips that you can check at home. If you don’t feel comfortable investigating these features yourself, visit our Fairbanks auto repair center and have our OEM certified mechanics take a look underneath your vehicle’s hood.
SALT CAN DESTROY YOUR VEHICLE
Leftover salt will ultimately rust your vehicle, specifically your car’s undercarriage. If the undercarriage rusts, it could possibly result in warped rotors, bad shocks and future cracks in the frame, among many other issues. Leftover salt is really a serious issue, one of the major cold weather factors that deteriorates and ruins your motor vehicle. One of the first details you should do in spring to combat leftover salt is to wash your vehicle thoroughly, especially the undercarriage.
A LOW BATTERY CAN LEAVE YOU STRANDED
The battery gives your vehicle life, fueling the electrical system with energy that starts your engine and gives power to your air conditioning and radio. The freezing weather of winter can be hard on your car’s battery. Signs of low battery include:
- Slow starting engines
- Dim headlights
- Trouble starting your vehicle
Once you’ve noticed these sings, check the battery for corrosion on the terminals and also check for loose fitting cables. If you have corrosion on the terminals, it’s best to clean them thoroughly to prevent the corrosion from eating away the battery cables and to also improve terminal to cable connection. If none of these issues correspond to your battery, but you’re still having power problems, then bring your car into Chevrolet Buick GMC of Fairbanks for additional diagnostics.
Other Car Features to Check This Spring
- Belts and hoses
- Car fluids – transmission, oil, power steering, antifreeze and brake fluid
- Brakes and rotors
- Tire tread and tire pressure
- Windshield wipers
SEASONAL AUTO MAINTENANCE HELPS YOU SAVE MONEY
Preventive auto care controls costly problems later down the line. Disregarding that squeak or grinding sound won’t make the problem go away. Neglecting it will simply assure you’ll have a more costly repair later on. So get caught up with preventive maintenance on your car and remember if you want help with any automotive repair problem, you can get in touch with Chevrolet Buick GMC of Fairbanks at (907) 885-0345 or schedule an appointment online.
