How to Tune Your Car for Spring

You might think spring-cleaning is just for your home. However, it’s also a great idea to spring-clean your car with a spring tune-up! Preparing your car for spring can make it run better and even prevent costly repairs later in the year. A spring tune-up for your car can even save you money over the entire time you own your vehicle! 

Spring auto maintenance will get you ready for a summer filled with long drives, weekend getaways to your favorite lake destination, mountain camping spot or beach location, and cross-country summer road trips. You’ll also have a much better vehicle for daily commutes and weekly errands, as well as your child’s school events and extracurricular activities.

Discover our guide on how to tune your car for spring. It’s surprisingly easy! And make sure to watch out for signs your car needs a tune-up as you go through our list.

1. Go to a Car Wash

Spring-cleaning isn’t just for your home. Spring-clean your car inside and out to help it look, smell, and feel fantastic when you get behind the wheel and drive. Any road salt Stone Mountain crews lay on streets during cold snaps can do real damage to the metal in your engine from the salt splashing up underneath the engine compartment. Once it settles on the parts, salt can corrode them over time. 

Therefore, you should start spring with a thorough car wash. If you go to a car wash, buy a premium wash because you won’t want to miss any nooks or crannies. A premium wash will get underneath the engine compartment. 

If you wash your vehicle yourself, make sure to add baking soda to the wash water if your car has salt buildup from winter drives. You’ll want to clean the underside of your car completely to neutralize the road salt and preserve your engine for many years to come.

We don’t get too many snow storms or ice around here. But when we do, make sure to wash your car once things warm up during the spring!

2. Check Your Tires

Did you know you can save money on gas by making sure you maintain your tires at the manufacturer’s recommended air pressure? Your vehicle can handle roads better, and the engine won’t have to work as hard as the vehicle moves, just by keeping the pressure at the correct level. Cold air can cause the air pressure in your tires to decrease. How to tune your car for spring should include a check of all four tires during and after winter weather.

Spring is a great time to check your tires for wear, too. Make sure you rotate tires regularly, at least once every time you come in for an oil change. Rotating tires makes sure they wear evenly as you drive over the span of months and years. Check your tires for worn tread every time you inflate them. Then replace any tires when the tread becomes too low. 

We highly suggest you check the tires every time you fill up your tank. Most gas stations have an air pump right there for you to use. If you have an EV, check your tires once a week.

3. Replace Wiper Blades and Wiper Fluid

Snow, ice, and cold temperatures can damage and wear your windshield wipers, especially if you use wipers to remove ice from your windshield. Windshield wipers are made of rubber, but they also wear out quickly over three to six months of regular use. If your wipers leave streaks on the glass, replace them. New wiper blades are inexpensive and simple to replace. You won’t even need to pay someone to do it for you! 

Make sure to top off your windshield wiper fluid and reapply any needed windshield treatments to repel water and rain as part of your car spring-cleaning ritual. Wiper fluid is easy to find and to replace in the reservoir near the engine compartment.

4. Check Your Battery

When the trees start to bud in spring, take a look at your vehicle’s battery. Many parts shops, as well as our service center, have free battery checks where you can determine the strength of your battery. If your battery is getting weak, you can prevent future problems by replacing it before it stops working altogether. Prevent yourself from being stranded in the middle of your summer vacation by checking your battery in the spring. No one wants to be stranded far from home due to a dead battery!

5. Change Your Oil

Regular oil changes can make all the difference in your car having a long, healthy life. Oil protects your pistons from wear and tear by preventing friction as the pistons move rapidly up and down to generate power to move the wheels forward. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s suggestions for oil change intervals and oil viscosity. Many manufacturers suggest oil changes every 5,000 to 10,000 miles with synthetic oil.

Make sure to change the oil filter as well. Some car shops offer fluid top-offs, tire checks, battery checks, and even tire rotation as part of their oil change prices. You can ask Gwinnett Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for a spring tune-up at any time from our dealership near Atlanta and Alpharetta. Our service team is here for you as you spring-clean your car with a tune-up!

Get Expert Auto Service at Gwinnett Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram! 

Consider scheduling a tune-up the next time you bring your vehicle in for service from Snellville. The team at Gwinnett Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram would be happy to help with that! Have more questions? Contact us or call 1-470-450-3135. We hope these tips to spring-clean your car are helpful to your vehicle’s ownership! Let us know what else we can do for you!