The spring maintenance checks to get your car running and feeling its best

THE dark, colder, winter months can often pay the biggest toll on your vehicle. It’s all too easy to be complacent when it comes to maintenance and cleaning at this time of year too.

But as spring and summer arrive, and the weather hopefully improves, it’s a good time to spend some time getting your vehicle ready for the rest of the year. Here are some top spring cleaning and maintenance checks to do for your vehicle, and they don’t need to take all that long.

Tidy things up

It’s all too easy to let rubbish and items pile up in your car over the winter months, so a good place to start is with a clear-out. The first job is to get any rubbish item out and bin or recycle it, whether it be old cartons, cups or bottles.

Once this is taken out, empty the car fully, focusing on the boot in particular, which can quickly become an extension of your home if you aren’t careful. If you’ve got things in your vehicle that you rarely need or use, we’d take them out, as it will help to save weight too. Any important safety items, such as first aid or puncture repair kits, should always be carried onboard, though.

Thorough vacuum

Next up on the list is to give your car a thorough vacuum. Over the winter months, your car’s interior will pick up all kinds of debris, and with brighter days, you’ll likely notice what a mess it’s become. Start by removing the mats from the car, which means you’ll be able to properly vacuum beneath them.

If there is any stubborn dirt, you might need to use an all-purpose or upholstery cleaner with a damp cloth – just don’t use anything too harsh or with a strong scent. Don’t forget the seats, too, while it’s a good idea to give the dashboard and any plastics a wipe-over to remove any dust particles that will have accumulated over the months.

Tackle the exterior

Once you’ve got the interior of the car sorted and looking its best, it’s time to tackle the exterior. The first thing we’d do is the wheels, with a separate bucket. These are often parts of the car that have the most stubborn dirt and might not only have brake dust to contend with but also mud that can be baked on over thousands of miles. You may need to use specialist chemicals depending on how neglected the wheels are. Don’t forget to flush the wheelarches too, it’s here where road salt might get stuck and could cause corrosion if left.

Next up, pre-rinse the car to get as much dirt off it as possible before you ‘touch’ the vehicle, whether this is with a pressure washer, or ideally with a snow foam sort of product, which will help to breakdown the dirt – the thing you won’t want to do is take a wash mitt (they’re slightly kinder to than a sponge) to a really grubby car. If you put a mitt directly onto a dirty car, it’ll move the grime around and can cause damage to your car’s paint.

After this, use a car wash solution and clean from top to bottom, regularly rinsing the wash mitt. Once done, thoroughly rinse the car, and then towel dry the vehicle to prevent any water spots.

Think about adding some protection to the car

Once the car is all dry, you might want to think about adding a layer of protection to the vehicle to help keep it clean for longer and make it easier to wash next time.

A good hard wax is a great idea and can help to protect the paint for several months, depending on how it’s used.

Maintenance checks

It’s not just the cleaning you should do to get the car ready for winter, but also maintenance checks. First, you should start with the tyres, which may have picked up damage over the winter months you haven’t noticed.

Check the sidewalls for any cuts and tears, and then the tread itself for any nails or damage – check the tread levels while you’re at it, too. The minimum legal requirement is to have 1.6mm, but even if your tyres are close to this, we recommend replacing them with new rubber. Have a look at the tyre pressures too. You’ll be able to find the correct readings in the petrol flap or in the vehicle handbook and adjust them accordingly.

Have a look at the oil level by measuring the dipstick to check there is sufficient oil. While you’re under the bonnet, make sure you check the windscreen washer fluid levels, too.

Top up with the correct fluids and consult your local motor factor if you have any doubts about what oil to use.