Auto Experts’ Advice for Spring Driving
As the winter season gives way for spring, good weather conditions will allow motorists to take extended road trips. But to ensure that their cars will not be prone to breakdowns, car experts from CarMax Inc. gave some tips to motorists around the country.
The largest retailer of used cars cited that the extreme winter cold can adversely affect the performance of a car which can be felt when spring comes. Todd Gartner, the ASE Master Technician Trainer for CarMax, says that: “The low winter temperatures can put additional stress on your vehicle. Colder temperatures can adversely affect different operating systems of your vehicle.”
For that reason, motorists need to have their cars checked so as to protect them from inconvenient breakdowns. One of the tips given by technicians is to take one’s car to an automatic car wash. This is primarily because automatic car wash services also do wash a car’s underchassis. This step should be taken to eliminate chemicals used on road treatment which may have found their way under the car’s structure and could prove to be harmful to the vehicle as a whole.
The chemicals used in road treatment to melt ice and snow have corrosive characteristics which can cause severe damage to a vehicle’s substructure. Technicians also suggest that car owners should have their cars waxed after thorough washing. Wax protects the paint of a vehicle against ultraviolet rays and it keeps the paint looking like new.
Aside from the said steps, technicians also suggest oil change every 3,000 miles. Apart from the engine oil, the oil filter should also be replaced after the aforementioned mileage. The oil change and replacement of oil filter is needed since cold temperature causes development of harmful condensation and acids in the engine oil. The presence of these on the engine oil can severely affect its cooling and lubricating properties.
This can result to damage in the engine due to overheating. Apart from these steps that can be done without professional help, technicians also suggest that cars should undergo proper checkup and this should be done by qualified technicians.
Aside from checking aftermarket components installed in a vehicle like an Injen cold air intake system, technicians will also check stock parts of a vehicle. The engine coolant in the radiator, the belts driving the alternator and the radiator fan among others, and the hoses to and from the radiator need to be checked too. For hoses, replacement is needed since these parts weaken from the inside so visual checkup will not determine its true status.
Headlights, taillights, and similar components need to be checked as well since extreme cold temperature can make lenses of these lights crack. Tires should also be checked to make sure that they are still capable of giving enough traction. The tires should be inflated to the pressure specified in the car owner’s manual.
Aside from the tires, brakes should also be checked and the brake fluid should be checked too.
About Author
Given her background on cars as an auto insurance director, Lauren Woods finds the world of cars to be constantly changing.
Source: ArticleTrader.com