Every region has its version of spring. Spring time usually means spring cleaning, a “fresh” start, out with the old in with the new. Cleaning the house, cleaning the car, an cleaning the dust of the bikes in the garage. Many of us just look forward to that day when they instinctively know that the last severe winter storm has come and gone. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a late freeze or surprise snow flurry. It does mean, however, that these hardy souls can start attending to their cars after a too-long winter, a process shared by everyone in varying degrees.
Cleaning Up
As you’re putting those heavy coats back into mothballs, it makes sense to do a little post-winter clean up on your vehicle. After all, it takes the brunt of winter’s misery, whether in the form of torrential downpours, freezing rain, or mountains of snow.
Tires
First, tend to your tires, even if you drive on what the industry refers to as “all season” tires. Heavy, consistent snow and ice require winter tires, which absolutely should be replaced with the non-winter variety. Winter tires are more expensive than standard tires and are designed with special tread for added traction in icy and snow-packed conditions. Heavily treaded tires wear out faster and should be saved for next winter. If you drive on all season radials, this is the time to rotate them (back to front). The drive wheels will wear more quickly, especially under winter driving conditions. By rotating them seasonally, you extend the life of the set.
Blades
Wiper blades also take a severe beating. Cold temperatures are hard on rubber compounds, and they also get bombarded with dirt-laden slush kicked up by traffic. This slush often carries with it corrosive salt used to melt road ice, which also does a number on your blades. Early spring is a good time to check and replace them if necessary. Replenish your windshield fluid as well since there’s a good chance winter’s dirt has exhausted the reservoir.
Underbody
Next, clean your vehicle’s underbody. There’s no magic cleaning solution that will get rid of the corrosive salt build-up for those who live in heavy winter urban areas. The best tool is a high-pressure sprayer. Pay special attention to the area around the front and rear bumpers.
Rust Check
Once you’ve thoroughly sprayed the underbody, check for signs of embryonic rust (small pits and bubbles) and take the necessary steps to stop any small rust spots from eating away at your vehicle. We’ve all seen those pillars of snow that form around bumpers and wheel wells. That’s the most likely place for road salt to begin the erosion process. While you’re at it, you might as well wash the whole car. Winter is not conducive to leisurely afternoons spent hosing off your vehicle and chances are it’s been a while.
Brakes
Examine your brakes. Like wipers, brakes take on a bigger role during wintertime and should be checked to ensure that they’ve survived. Listen for brake noises such as grinding, chatter or squeals. Even if your brakes aren’t making any distinctive noises, it’s still a good idea to determine the amount of wear on the pads or drums, either by you or your mechanic. We often become accustom to the feel of worn brakes, without realizing what we’re used to is a deteriorated ability to stop.
Fluids
Check all automotive fluids and top off as necessary. Winter driving conditions require your engine to work harder and deplete fluid levels faster.
Interior
Go over your vehicle interior with a fine-tooth comb. This includes taking out and washing floor liners. Even if you have those nifty, heavy-duty liners, the volume of melted snow that gets tracked into vehicles can often overwhelm even the sturdiest mats.
Vacuum and clean the carpets, making sure they are bone dry before you put the liners back in. Since most of us tend to scurry out of the protection of a warm car into the protection of a warm building without taking time to tidy up, there’s usually an extra build-up of litter hiding under the seats. Go over interior vinyl with a protective dressing. Car heaters can be as damaging and drying to vinyl as mid-summer sun.
Congratulations! You and your vehicle have survived another winter. You can now look forward to months of warm temperatures and snow-free landscapes. Of course, you’ll soon have to be preparing for that long hot summer, but that’s another story.
TRY OUT YOUR AIR CONDITIONING –
before the warmer weather gets here!
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As the ravages of winter subside and temperatures rise, there is probably a pothole out there with your name on it, cautions Car Care Canada. Cold temperatures, snow and rainfall create the perfect storm for the motorists’ dreaded “perils of potholes period.”
Maintain full air pressure in all tires to provide as much cushion as possible between the pothole and the rim of the tire.
Although you may want to get rid of your present vehicle in favour of a new car, taking better care of your current set of wheels may make much more sense in the long run-helping you achieve a goal of financial freedom.
“Whether it’s an oil change, replacing brakes or new belts and hoses, that periodic repair bill is a drop in the bucket compared to monthly payments on a new car,” says Car Care Canada’s Marc Brazeau. “The bottom line is that a properly maintained vehicle is safe, more dependable, more fuel efficient, less polluting and more valuable. The smartest way to get a solid return on investment is to keep your car through what we call the ‘Cinderella Era.’ It’s that period of time after the payoff when your car is still in great shape and needs only modest repairs.”
The facts about winter tires and why all-season tires just won’t do.
Unlike all-season tires, winter tires (identified by mountain and snowflake symbols on their sides) have tread patterns and softer rubber compounds that are tailored for colder conditions. And that helps them perform better once temperatures plummet, whether or not they have to dig through the white stuff.
One last note, the temperature can easily slide from 5 degrees to -15 degrees overnight, dropping tire pressure as much as 4 p.s.i. If you have an under-inflated tire, that could put you into the danger zone. Tires should be checked monthly. This is why we check the tires with every service.
Well I have modified the service intervals based on what we see in the industry. Our maintenance plans are designed to follow the manufactures service interval as a guide but also to get the car to last 10 years not just 3 or 4 while under warranty. 
Air Conditioning, which was once considered a luxury, is now a common feature on most cars and vehicles today.
An annual servicing of your car’s air conditioning system will guard against malfunctions in the compressor and other vital parts of the system. Regular maintenance will save you money in the long run and guarantee you comfort in the hottest months.
More customers are satisfied with the work of independent mechanics than with that of dealership mechanics.
With the winter season fast approaching, it’s that time of year to get your car geared up with Winter Tires. Winter tires’ treads have more biting edges for better grip on snow and ice, while their softer compound remains flexible even in extremely low temperatures.
“For the consumer, selecting a vehicle with a lower depreciation rate will reduce their overall cost-of-ownership,” says Canadian Black Book executive vice-president Larry Shred, whose company has long been a reliable source for used-car values.
The CAA’s Driving Costs 2010 Edition determined that depreciation accounts for $3,628 in annual ownership costs on a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt LT – or 20 cents/kilometre based on 18,000 km of driving a year. The No. 2 cost is insurance at $1,850 a year or six cents/km. Financing at $666 a year (four cents/km) is the No. 3 cost of ownership for the Cobalt.
Some, of course, contend that depreciation and financing are not legitimate, across-the-board ownership costs. And not everyone pays to borrow the money for a new vehicle. But for this article we have included it as a cost. Indeed, the vehicle management company Runzheimer Canada does just that in calculating costs for the CAA.
In short, for most people a car is the No. 2 family expense behind housing. Therefore, for those who watch family finances, it makes perfect sense to look beyond the actual sticker price; it is only one piece of a much larger picture. Everything from fuel to insurance will take up major chunks of your transportation budget.
As for other costs, while maintenance and repairs do not consume a huge piece of the overall ownership cost of relatively new vehicles covered under three- or four- year warranties, there are still savings to be found in this area, minor as they might be in the first few years of ownership. Thrifty buyers might want to look over the maintenance schedule of any potential vehicle purchase and also ask the seller of a new model if maintenance is included in the purchase price, free of charge. With some auto makers, it is.
