How to Get Your Car Ready for Spring

Winter is starting to fall behind us and, for many people, spring being on the horizon is a reason to celebrate. Longer days and warmer temperatures mean that there are more opportunities to get out and explore, while here at Eden we’ve got a great variety of cars that can help you out on your next adventure.

But if your current car has been battling through winter how can you make sure it’s all ready for spring? We’ve got some key tips and tricks to bear in mind.

Deep clean

A great place to start is with a thorough clean. Winter is a tough time for cars and during the frosty temperatures and long nights, dirt and grime can quickly accumulate. Left uncleaned, this debris can damage paintwork and cause key components to wear out more aggressively than they usually would.

So make sure that at the very least you give your car’s exterior a deep clean. Make sure you use a dedicated car shampoo - dish soap will strip the paint of its natural protection - and focus on key areas such as the wheels, wheel wells and front grilles. While you’re there, it might be worth giving the interior a vacuum and tidying to make sure you’re starting spring with a fresh car.

Check tyres

Again, tyres can often be put under extra strain during winter, particularly with the grit and loose materials that are usually strewn across the road at this time of year. Check over your car’s tyres for any damage, as cuts or nicks into the sidewall could develop into something much nastier and increase the chances of a blowout. If you do notice any damage, make sure you get the tyre swapped out for a new one right away.

You need to check the tread depths, too, with the legal limit in the UK being 1.6mm. You can use a tyre gauge for this - which is inexpensive to buy - or ask a professional car mechanic to help you. It would also be a good idea to check the pressures for your tyres, adding some air if they’re under-inflated. You’ll find the correct pressures for your car in the vehicle handbook or on a panel inside the fuel filler door.

Check windscreen

Grit and stones can have a seriously negative impact on your car’s windscreen. During winter, your car’s windscreen takes some abuse and, quite often, this can result in stone chips or cracks appearing and these will need addressing. It’s often easy to miss these issues during winter and its long nights, so as the days get brighter it’s a prime opportunity to make sure everything is just as it should be.

Smaller chips can be easily and inexpensively repaired by injecting them with a special resin, something that specialists can do. These repairs will stop this damage from getting worse and turning into a crack, which might then mean you need to replace the entire windscreen. Plus, larger windscreen cracks in the driver’s eye line will cause your car to fail its MOT.

Top up levels

Making sure that your car has the right level of fluids is essential to keeping it running smoothly. A good place to start is with the oil, as this is relatively easy to check. Remove the car’s dipstick - it’s located at the top of the engine and is usually highlighted by a bright yellow handle - and give it a clean with a rag or cloth. Then, return it to the engine and remove it once more. From this, you should be able to read the oil levels using the small guide at the bottom of the dipstick. If it’s low, remove the engine’s oil cap and top it up with the correct oil for your car, doing so in small increments and checking after each small fill-up with the dipstick.

You could also make sure that your car’s coolant levels are correct - it’s kept in a small reservoir which is towards the rear of the engine bay on most cars. As with all areas of car maintenance, if you’re unsure then always consult a trained professional for help.

Make sure the battery is ready

A car’s battery is put under extra strain throughout winter. Cold temperatures require a battery to transfer more energy to the vehicle to get it to start which means that they can quickly wear out during winter.

If you’ve noticed that your car isn’t starting as easily as usual, or if it takes several ‘cranks’ to get the engine going, then the likelihood is that the battery is depleted and will need replacing. Again, this is something that you can do yourself at home, though many motor part retailers will be able to do it for you.

All of these tips and tricks can help to extend the life of your car but if you’d rather get behind the wheel of a new vehicle altogether, then check out what we’ve got to offer here at Eden today.