At precisely 4:24 pm on March 20, spring officially sprung! Try saying that ten times.
While it's taking the weather a few weeks to catch up, don't wait that long to give your vehicle a quick spring checkup. The snow, salt, ice, and freezing temperatures have left their mark on your vehicle. Our Spring Car Care Service will address the most common post-winter problems and includes crucial preventative maintenance, ensuring your car will run smoothly all season long. After all, though engine failure might feel worse in the dead cold of December, it'll cost you the same in summer.
Seasonal Preventative Maintenance is the #1 Way to Improve Vehicle Durability and Save Money.
Did you know that 4 of the top 5 most common automotive repairs are related to durability?
Harvard Business Review explains that durability is "a measure of product life." In other words, how long a car performs its duties before performance degrades.
What can you do to prolong that "high performance" period in the face of constant wear and tear?
Preventative maintenance will always be cheaper than any significant repair, and the cumulative effect on durability over the years you own your car is well worth the effort. Just ask any mechanic near you! AAA estimates that drivers who take their vehicles for seasonal, preventative maintenance save at least $100 per visit on repairs in the long run.
The average length of car ownership is around 8 years, and a typical Canadian family will bring their car to a repair shop about 4 times per year. The conservative estimate on savings according to their data would be $3200 over the car's lifetime!
Yet, statistics show that 10% of drivers can't remember the last time they completed routine car maintenance. Yikes, no wonder the automotive repair business is an $880 million industry.
What Should a Spring Car Care Service Include?
Here's a look at what our Spring Car Care Service includes, and how it will increase your car's peak performance, extend its life span and save you money. Whatever autobody repair shop you choose for your car's spring checkup, make sure it covers these important points before you hand over your keys.
Check Cabin Air Filter
The cabin air filter helps to trap and eliminate harmful pollutants, dust, and debris so that the air inside your vehicle is breathable, safe, and clean. Typically constructed of paper, mesh cotton, and activated charcoal, this small component has a mighty purpose, eliminating 99.9% of airborne contaminants, some smaller than 1/25,000th of an inch!
A clogged, dirty filter allows pollutants into your car cabin and, consequently, into your lungs. If you notice excessive noise, whistling, unpleasant odors, or reduced airflow when you set your dial on high, it's time to replace your filter. After a long, mucky winter, it's essential that you have your air filter checked in between seasons.
Check Cooling System
The cooling system regulates engine temperature while in operation. This system includes a water pump, thermostat, radiator, cooling fans, liquid coolant, and many hoses. It is responsible for keeping your car from overheating.
Overheating can lead to various internal problems like blown gaskets, cracks in the engine block, and even engine failure.
As we inch towards another hot (albeit brief) summer, you need to be sure your cooling system is ready to whisk away excess heat around your engine to ensure it runs optimally and reliably.
Check Wiper Blades
Wiper blades work hard during winter. Snow, ice, extreme cold, and months of bleak conditions cause excessive wear and tear. Experts recommend visually inspecting your wiper blades every time you pump gas.
Smudges, streaks, chattering sounds, and irregular movement are all signs that your wiper blades need replacing. In a climate like ours, we recommend using a thicker rubber blade in winter that is heavy enough to push away snow and resist ice buildup. Switching to a lighter set of wipers in spring will help deal with the rain, bugs, tree saps, and pollens more common in warm seasons.
Check out this article on windshield wipers we published recently to learn more about the most common signs you may need a new set.
Check Brakes & Front End
To have peace of mind during a season of increased driving, you must be confident that your brake system is in working order. Pressing your brake pedal causes large clamps (calipers) to pinch down on brake pads, squeezing your brake discs (rotors), creating friction, and transferring energy generated from movement into thermal energy or heat. This friction created by calipers, pads, and rotors rubbing together brings your car to a stop. These parts wear down as a direct result of doing their job over and over and over again.
Brakes in need of repair or replacement parts will often make specific sounds or create noticeable changes in how braking feels. Take a peek at this post to find out exactly what to look for when it comes to your brakes.
A spring checkup will give you an exact idea of your braking system's condition before you head out for your first road trip. If the checkup reveals you need new brakes installed, we can easily install our Life Time brakes in 1 hour, getting you back on the open road before the traffic hits.
Lubricate Locks & Hinges
While we all understand that significant engine parts need to be lubricated with oil to run properly, the reality is that every moving component in your car requires some lubricant. Door locks and hinges get much use over time and can wear out. Applying the correct lubricant to each surface is one of those tedious, messy jobs that we love to offer our clients to improve door and lock function, reduce the risk of rust, and minimize the possibility of more expensive repairs.
Install Nitrogen x 4 Tires
Nitrogen is all around us! It forms about 78% of Earth's atmosphere. It is a non-toxic, non-flammable, odourless, inert gas with unique properties that can benefit your vehicle. Many drivers exclusively use nitrogen to fill their tires.
Tire wear and tear is directly related to the tire's temperature while driving. Nitrogen reduces your tire's running temperature, instantly slowing tire degradation and increasing its life span.
Nitrogen molecules are also larger than normal air molecules, meaning a tire filled with nitrogen is more stable and will hold tire pressure longer than its oxygen-filled counterparts. These are just a few of the benefits!
Summer Tire Changeover Included FOR FREE (most vehicles)
Once the temperature is consistently at or above 7°C, it's essential that you change over to your summer tires. The flexible rubber tread on your winter tires that delivers better traction on ice and snow isn't effective once spring hits and will wear down quickly in warmer weather.
If your tires are on rims, we include this service for free with our Spring Car Care service. Keep in mind, a typical summer tire changeover, or a tire rotation if you use all seasons, will cost anywhere from $60-$150 on its own!
How Do You Save 326.04 This Summer?
You're probably wondering where I got that super-specific savings number in the title.
The national average cost of a car repair is $356.04. For just $29.95 this spring you can contribute to the longevity of your vehicle and potentially save yourself from a nasty three-hundred-dollar surprise this summer, not to mention saving $100 a visit on average, for the duration of your ownership.
You can drop in anytime; no appointment necessary! Feel free to call in or book your service online here if it's more convenient for you.
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