Easy Car Care Tips for Spring

Spring is Here! 

Spring Cleaning time is here as well. We spring clean our houses, clean out the garages, and clean up the yards. We need to add cleaning up our vehicles to that list. This is an important one too. It will help your vehicle hold its value and save you money.

Now that the Harsh Winter is behind us, our Cars and Trucks need a little Tender Loving Care (TLC).
Road salts, sand, and extreme temperatures are hard and damaging to your vehicle. Spring is the best time to thoroughly clean your vehicle to get rid of the damaging elements, and ready it for the Summer months ahead.

Doing these simple things will help your vehicle look its best.
These are the basics:

1. Get to the Car Wash. You need to thoroughly spray down the vehicle. Pay attention to the undercarriage. All of that road salt and sand has made a home in all the cracks and crevasses of the underside, and up in the wheel wells. 
2. Wax and Polish. This will help minimize any minor paint defects, remove oxidation, and prevent your vehicle from rusting. 
3. Clean your windows. Clean all of them on the inside and the outside. Clean your mirrors too. Visbility is very important. You will be amazed at how much grime you will get off of your window glass.
4. Clean your Tires.  Use a tire cleaner, it will help pull the dirt from the pours of the tire rubber. Then shine them up with a Tire Gloss or Protectant. The tires will heat up during the Hot Summer months and a good Tire Gloss or Protectant will help prevent the tires from drying out and cracking. 
5. Clean your wheels. Brake dust, grime, and road salt get embedded into your wheels.  After they are cleaned, you need to polish and seal your wheels, just like you did for your tires. Make sure to use the proper polishers and sealers for the wheels. Using the wrong product can do more harm than good. Check with your owners manual or your Car Dealership for the correct Wheel Care product.
6. Clean and treat your seats. Your seats take a beating. Take care of them by cleaning them up. Use the proper product. Leather, Vinyl or Cloth. Each of them needs to be cared for. Apply seat covers when you can. This will save wear and tear on the original equipment.
7. Floor mats. If don't have any in your vehicle already. Get some heavy duty floor mats. They are easy to take out to clean and they protect the original floor covering from ground in dirt and spills.
8. Take care of the dings. Get a bottle of touch up paint that matches your vehicle's paint code. Use it when you discover those little dents or dings. This will prevent them from rusting and helps to keep the paint job up.
9. Headlights. Don't forget to clean your side markers and tail lights too.The headlight covers can yellow with age, making visibility very poor. Get them cleaned or replaced if this happens.  It is well worth it.
10. Change your Engine Oil. The winter months are hard on your engine. Give it a fresh drink of oil. Make sure to use the proper weight and type of oil. Oil Changes save you money.
11. Check your Cabin Air Filter. It may be time to replace it. The Cabin Air Filter filters out the Pollens and helps the A/C put out cooler air. Check your Owners Manual or Service Department, for location of your Cabin Air Filter.

Make it Shine, we will see you on the roads..

Keep it between the lines,
Happy Motoring.