You should inspect these areas every spring
For the most part, our vehicles don’t seem to care much about the change in seasons, save for seasonal tire swaps.
But there are a few things you can — and should — do to avoid warm-weather cruising surprises.
Sunroof: Most people think when a sunroof is closed, it’s watertight. Not really — that’s why there’s a wide and deep trough that runs around the perimeter. That trough has a drain at each corner and small-diameter rubber tubes channel the water away to leak out under the vehicle, usually just behind the front wheel wells and just in front of the rears.
If these tubes become blocked, the water will build up in the trough and provide a surprise shower on any cornering or braking manoeuvres. Test them by opening the glass panel and pouring a small amount of water in the trough, then checking the four spots under the vehicle to make sure things are running smoothly. If a tube is plugged, you may have some success with a light shot of compressed air from an electronics-cleaning aerosol. Be warned: too much pressure can dislodge the tubes.
Moldings and latches: Rear windows and door latches don’t get a lot of use during the winter. A good spring check should include cleaning the felt-lined rubber mouldings at the outer bottom edges of the door windows, and then giving them a quick spray with silicone lubricating compound. Then, use the straw nozzle the can should come with to spray the inside of the vertical glass run channels.
You can also use this spray to restore all the door, trunk, and hood-lid rubber seals, which tend to suffer a little climate dryness during the winter. This miraclein-a-can is also great for shining any rubber components under the hood, or even tire side walls. Be careful when spraying near any exposed electrical connectors, as silicone can wreak havoc on low-voltage signals.
Brakes: Take advantage of your ride’s open-spoke wheel design to get a good look at the brake rotors and calipers, as road salt can do a number on the exposed steel of these components. A little rust on the rotor’s edge is acceptable, but when it starts to creep onto the area where the brake pad rides, it can affect stopping performance. Getting a proper brake inspection done each spring isn’t going overboard.
Undercarriage: Grab a selfie stick and activate your phone’s front-facing camera to get a good look under your vehicle. Check carefully for any accumulation of road grit, especially on horizontal structures and components. You can try to dislodge this yourself with some water pressure, but those undercarriage blasters at the car wash will do a much better job. This grit will contain a lot of salt, making it a perfect seed for corrosion.