Keep your vehicle washed regularly to keep the rust away. Give it one really good cleaning in the spring to rinse away all of the salt and sand from the winter roads.
Check the hoses and make sure they feel firm to the touch, crack free and have no evidence of leaking at the connections. If you notice leaks, have them repaired by your technician.
Check the belts and make sure they are not cracked, frayed, or too lose. If you notice any of these things, bring your vehicle in and have the belts replaced or re-tightened.
Check your fluid levels when the motor is completely cooled.
Check your coolant level at the reservoir which is marked with minimum and maximum levels. NEVER remove the radiator cap off of a hot engine. If it’s low, you can add a 50/50 mixture of anti-freeze and water. Check it again in a few days and if it is low again, you may have a leak. Have this repaired by your technician. It is recommended to have your coolant flushed every 2 years as the coolant chemicals break down with age.
Check engine oil level at the dipstick. Remove it to check the level and wipe the oil off on a white paper towel or rag. If the oil level is low, add more oil. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended type. Add in small quantities and recheck the level at the dipstick until it is at the recommended level. Check the colour of the oil and transparency level. The darker the oil and the less you can see through it, the less effective the oil is. Make sure to have regular oil changes done every 5000 km.
Check washer fluid level and top off if the level is low.
Look underneath the vehicle and check for visible damage to things like body panels and mufflers. Also check for evidence of fluid leaks.
Take the vehicle for a test drive.
When driving, hold your steering wheel firmly and check to see if the vehicle veers. If it does, it could need an alignment.
When braking, make sure the pedal is firm when pressure is applied and the vehicle does not swerve or the steering wheel doesn’t shake when pressure is applied to the pedal. If you notice any of these things, bring your vehicle in to have an inspection done.
Check your tires.
If you have winter tires, have them changed over to summer tires when the temperature gets steadily over 7 degrees Celsius.
If you notice uneven wear in the tires, have your vehicle inspected by a technician. It could be that those potholes you hit over the winter may have thrown off the alignment of your vehicle.
Use a coin to measure tread depth on the outside, centre, and inside edges. This can tell you how the tire is wearing. If it’s deeper on the edges than the middle, the tires are running underinflated. If it is deeper on the edges than the middle, the tires are running overflated. If the tread is deeper on one side than the other, you have alignment issues that need to be checked. Pass your hand over the tire. If it is smooth in one direction and rough on the other, it indicates a saw-tooth wear pattern that can be corrected with an alignment.
Check for wear on your wipers. They should be replaced after a harsh winter if they weren’t replaced before. If you have winter wipers on, they should be replaced with summer wipers.
Come visit us and have your spring oil change and tune-up. We can check your vehicle over for you to make sure it is in good working order and to make sure nothing was missed when you were doing the inspecting yourself.
Check the hoses and make sure they feel firm to the touch, crack free and have no evidence of leaking at the connections. If you notice leaks, have them repaired by your technician.
Check the belts and make sure they are not cracked, frayed, or too lose. If you notice any of these things, bring your vehicle in and have the belts replaced or re-tightened.
Check your fluid levels when the motor is completely cooled.
Check your coolant level at the reservoir which is marked with minimum and maximum levels. NEVER remove the radiator cap off of a hot engine. If it’s low, you can add a 50/50 mixture of anti-freeze and water. Check it again in a few days and if it is low again, you may have a leak. Have this repaired by your technician. It is recommended to have your coolant flushed every 2 years as the coolant chemicals break down with age.
Check engine oil level at the dipstick. Remove it to check the level and wipe the oil off on a white paper towel or rag. If the oil level is low, add more oil. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended type. Add in small quantities and recheck the level at the dipstick until it is at the recommended level. Check the colour of the oil and transparency level. The darker the oil and the less you can see through it, the less effective the oil is. Make sure to have regular oil changes done every 5000 km.
Check washer fluid level and top off if the level is low.
Look underneath the vehicle and check for visible damage to things like body panels and mufflers. Also check for evidence of fluid leaks.
Take the vehicle for a test drive.
When driving, hold your steering wheel firmly and check to see if the vehicle veers. If it does, it could need an alignment.
When braking, make sure the pedal is firm when pressure is applied and the vehicle does not swerve or the steering wheel doesn’t shake when pressure is applied to the pedal. If you notice any of these things, bring your vehicle in to have an inspection done.
Check your tires.
If you have winter tires, have them changed over to summer tires when the temperature gets steadily over 7 degrees Celsius.
If you notice uneven wear in the tires, have your vehicle inspected by a technician. It could be that those potholes you hit over the winter may have thrown off the alignment of your vehicle.
Use a coin to measure tread depth on the outside, centre, and inside edges. This can tell you how the tire is wearing. If it’s deeper on the edges than the middle, the tires are running underinflated. If it is deeper on the edges than the middle, the tires are running overflated. If the tread is deeper on one side than the other, you have alignment issues that need to be checked. Pass your hand over the tire. If it is smooth in one direction and rough on the other, it indicates a saw-tooth wear pattern that can be corrected with an alignment.
Check for wear on your wipers. They should be replaced after a harsh winter if they weren’t replaced before. If you have winter wipers on, they should be replaced with summer wipers.
Come visit us and have your spring oil change and tune-up. We can check your vehicle over for you to make sure it is in good working order and to make sure nothing was missed when you were doing the inspecting yourself.
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