While the rest of the country is pulling out of winter and looking forward to a warm spring, we in Arizona are preparing for a long hot summer. Our summers are often harder on our cars than most place’s winters. This spring, however, why not take a few preventative steps that will help your car weather the heat a little better?

Simply performing seasonal maintenance on your vehicle can help to avoid all kinds of trouble later. There are 10 car care tips that need to be done, some you can do and some are best done by a mechanic as part of a tune-up. Some will help your vehicle look better and most of them will improve performance, longevity, and fuel efficiency.

The outside of the car really suffers from road contamination, blowing dirt, and harsh sun. Simply making a car was part of your normal routine can make a big difference in how long your paint will last and adding in a wax job a couple times a year will keep that protective shine. Checking and replacing wiper blades are next. Wiper blades have a natural lifespan of about six month, once they start skipping over your windshield they are getting used up. A nice smooth swipe is the key to keeping water off the windshield. Also refilling that wiper fluid reservoir is necessary; it soon will be time for bugs.

The tires need attention now too, rotating tires on a schedule helps to increase the lifespan of the tire by creating an even wear pattern. Simply keeping the proper amount of air pressure in the tires is helpful in the wearing of the tire as well as for good fuel economy. Tires are easy to check, all you need is cool tires and a pressure gauge.

Oil, oil filters, and air filters also need to be checked. If these are out of your league, simply schedule a tune up at your local auto repair facility. They will be glad to provide you with preventative maintenance for your vehicle and let you know what you need to do to increase the life of your car.

Finally the all important cooling system also needs attention. We all use the air conditioner during the summer and now is the time to make certain it is in working condition. Flushing and filling the cooling system is cheap insurance against engine failure. Flushing should be done every two years to get rid of rust, grease and sediment. When this is finished making sure the radiator cap is snug helps to raise the cooling system pressure and guard against boil-over. A new radiator cap is a good idea every two years as well because they simply don’t last forever. While you are tightening the radiator cap, tighten the gas cap as well. That gas cap is what prevents that expensive high octane fuel from evaporating right out of the tank. Nearly 20% of all vehicles have gas caps that are damaged, loose or missing altogether. This wastes about 147 million gallons of gas every year.

Last but certainly not least is the battery and spark plugs; they both endure a lot of heat, wear and tear in the form of electrical and chemical erosion. One of the most frustrating things is getting in the car and twisting the ignition only to find it won’t even turn over. The battery is vital to the car and surprisingly they don’t last forever either. In fact in vehicle inspection lanes conducted throughout the country during car care month battery cables, clamps and terminals were found to need maintenance on 10% of the vehicles inspected while 7% of the batteries were not properly held down.

Once you have the spring cleaning done in the house, don’t forget to do the car. You will be so glad you did when it is midsummer and you are on vacation. There will be one less thing to worry about in knowing your vehicle maintenance is up to date. That same vehicle that saw you through the winter can see you through a hot dry summer.