You and your car survived the Winter. The snow, the ice, and the salty roads are now a distant memory – or are they? Specks of white remain on the bottom and undercarriage of your car, reminding you of the slush and other road debris you encountered when the snow was on the ground. But just as crucial as getting your vehicle ready for winter is preparing it for when the snow melts.
Here are nine things you should do to help your car recover from winter and get it ready for spring.
The exterior of your car takes the brunt of the winter weather. Months of muck, sand and salt can cause significant problems, including rust and corrosion.
Erosion occurs when the salt from the road gets into your vehicle’s undercarriage to the exposed metal parts, even the sides of your car. Erosion can lead to rust, peeling paint, and pitting. To avoid erosion, you should rinse your car as often as possible and use a circular motion to remove the snow and ice to prevent scratching.
The actual wind does not necessarily cause wind damage as things in the wind cause it. Sand from the roadways can get caught up in the air, causing minute scratches to your car’s surface. Larger pieces of debris, like snow and ice from other vehicles and tree branches, can also damage your vehicle, and one way to extend the life of your car’s exterior is going through the car wash.
Your tires do a lot for your car, and they experience a lot of strain during the winter months.
While all-season tires are safe and reliable in most climates, they aren’t as flexible as snow tires. All-season tires stiffen in the cold, especially when temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius). That can cause cracks and other damage. If you have been using all-season tires all winter, you will need to check the tread to make sure they aren’t too worn out. With ice, salt, and other debris in the road during heavy snows and melting, your tires may see significant wear.
If you are in an area where you get a lot of snow and ice, odds are you have some snow tires on your car. As the weather warms up, you should consider swapping out your winter tires. Winter tires are made of softer rubber to help them adhere to the road in winter. As the weather warms up, they will wear out quickly, and they also have a longer stopping distance, which is dangerous in emergencies.
Even if you haven’t driven your car all winter, the cold air and ice can be rough on the air pressure in your tires. When your vehicle is not in use, your tires are prone to deteriorate, lose air pressure and develop flat spots. For instance, when your car is not in use, your tires may develop bubbles, especially in areas where the rubber has worn thin. Driving on a tire that has a bubble is dangerous - it could blow out on you.
Remember: safe tires mean safe driving – replace tires that look worn out. Skimping on new tires now could put you in danger down the road.
Snow, sludge and ice can take a toll on your wiper blades in the winter. If your wipers are worn or cracked, or if you are starting to see them leave streaks on your windshield, it’s a good indicator that it’s time to replace them. Even if your blades look OK, replace them if they start to leave streaks on your windshield — some warning signs of wiper blades that are failing, including streaking, smearing, squeaking and skipping.
Many cars use thinner oil during the winter. Thinner oil flows more easily during cold weather and ensures that your car starts more easily. But as the weather warms up, it’s wise to have an oil change and use thicker oil. Even if your vehicle uses multi-viscosity oil, spring is a great time to change it. Winter is hard on engines, and the oil and filter become dirty. Changing the oil will ensure your engine runs well and lasts longer, which means less chance of a breakdown in the hottest days of summer.
Oil is not the only car fluid that needs your attention. There’s also power steering fluid, transmission fluid, brake fluid, windshield washer fluid and coolant. Luckily, all these fluids are relatively inexpensive and easy to change.
Like we mentioned earlier, many cars use thinner oil during the winter. When not replaced before winter with ones rated for low temperatures, other fluids can freeze within their reservoirs. Coolant and windshield washer fluid are two prime examples of this.
Ensure your brakes are working is crucial before driving off on a spring break road trip with the family. If your braking is rough and noisy, or if the “Brake Check” light on your dashboard is on, it’s time to get new brake pads.
Even if you do not notice any problems with your brakes, you should still have your brakes checked every six months, and spring is a perfect time because of all the salt and sand during the winter months.
Turn the air conditioning on high and see if it cools the car quickly. And if it’s not working, at least you can get it fixed before the blazing hot days of summer.
You probably won’t be needing the thermal blanket or the ice scraper anymore, but there are other emergency gear in your car that you should double-check on, such as the batteries in the flashlight, etc.
In your car, you should always have specific items, especially in Spring and Summertime emergencies. These things should include:
While it isn’t hazardous, a dirty camera lens certainly makes it challenging to record clear images. Even in perfect daytime conditions, dirt and scratches can cause loss of contrast.
For best video recording results, i.e. no “blurry” and “foggy” videos or excessive sun glare, you should clean the camera lens regularly.
If the SD card has not been regularly formatted or the microSD card has not been changed when it is worn out, it can cause your dash cam to falter. This typically happens when you drive a lot or left your vehicle and dash cam in storage during the winter.
Because of how the dash cam writes and overwrites on the SD card (i.e. starting and stopping recordings as you turn your car on and off), it is essential to format the card in your dash cam periodically. Partial files can clog up the card, resulting in performance issues or false memory full errors.
With that said, we recommend that you format the memory car at least once a month. This can be done via the on-screen menu on the dash cam, using the smartphone app, or via a desktop viewer.
Note that you will erase all existing data and information on the card when you format an SD card. So, if there’s any critical footage you need to save, you will need to back up the files first. If you have a Cloud-compatible dash cam (like the BlackVue DR900X or the Thinkware U1000) you can back up the files onto the Cloud first.
Does your dash cam have the latest firmware? Don’t remember the last time you updated your dash cam’s firmware?
The truth is, not that many people are aware that they can update their dash cam’s firmware. Manufacturers iron out bugs, release fixes and introduce new features in new firmware versions - these are essentially free upgrades to enhance your dash cam’s performance.
We recommend checking for updates after you purchase a new dash cam, and then on a semi-regular basis, every few months or so after that.
If you’ve never checked your dash cam for a firmware update, then now is a good time to do so.
Safety is crucial for you, anyone in your vehicle with you, and others who share the road with your car. You are not the only person in the car equation. Many other factors come into play when you become a driver (in any season). What can you do to extend your safety even further?
Whether you are thinking of a solution for spring break safety or just trying to be more diligent on the roadway, a budget-friendly dash cam may be the solution you seek. You want your car to run at its best, so why not protect it with the best? We have many of yesterday’s models on Spring Clearance this month - models that might not be the latest but still very reliable and even more affordable now. These are great for adding safety and security to your vehicle, especially if you opt to trade in your car for a new one in the Spring!
