For many families, spring means planning for family vacations, trips to the cabin, camping excursions, and weekend road trips. Whatever your style, chances are you are getting ready to hit the road. But, what shape is your vehicle in? Have you been performing regular preventative maintenance? Do you think you are due? Spring is one of the best times to make sure your vehicle is up to date on its maintenance and ready to get you to your summer destinations safely and efficiently?

April is National Car Care Month and the perfect time to focus on your vehicle’s maintenance or lack thereof and to help ensure that your summer driving plans go smoothly.  Firestone Complete Auto Care recommends these 5 tips for springtime car maintenance.

Schedule an oil and filter change

Scheduled oil changes help maintain a healthy engine. As motor oil lubricates and cools the engine, it naturally picks up impurities. As oil ages, it becomes less effective in keeping your engine healthy. If it’s too old, your motor oil can’t do its job and protect your engine. That is why it is so important to schedule an oil change at the start of spring (and for regular oil changes) to help your engine purr all season long.

Have your car battery tested and replaced, if necessary

Regular battery service is also an important preventative maintenance item. It is important that the connection is clean, tight and corrosion-free. Warmer weather tends to zap your car battery and can leave you stranded. Avoid the inconvenience of a car that won’t start and have the battery tested and replaced, if necessary.

Check tire pressure and tread

Check your tire pressure in the morning before hitting the road for the day, and adjust your tires based on that reading. Your tire pressure should match the recommended tire pressure in your vehicle manual. Maintaining proper air pressure allows you to get more miles out of each tire. A sticker on the driver’s door frame also lists the tire pressure for the front and rear tires.

This is the perfect moment to check the tire tread depth, too. Without sufficient tread, your tires can’t grip the road as they were designed to. This could compromise your car’s handling in wet weather and your ability to come to a quick stop.

Luckily, all you need is a penny to test the thread. Place a penny head first into several tread grooves across the tire. If you always see the top of Lincoln’s head, your treads are shallow and worn and you may need new tires. If part of Lincoln’s head is always covered by the tread, this means you probably don’t need new tires. As always, seek the opinion of a tire specialist if you are uncertain. Here at Good Works Auto Repair, checking the tire tread is included in our free multi-point inspection we do on every auto repair.

Replace your wiper blades and refill wiper fluid

If your wipers are smearing water across the windshield, chattering, or just not doing their job, it is time for new wipers. If a simple wiper cleaning doesn’t do the trick, then it’s time to replace your wiper blades to prepare for spring and summer rainstorms. Get ahead of the changing seasons (and the bugs that come with it) by topping off your wiper fluid, too.

Deep clean your lights and replace the bulbs, if necessary

You might need glasses if you’ve found yourself squinting while driving in the dark. If your headlights look hazy, they may need a good scrubbing. You can polish headlights and tail lights with a soft toothbrush, baking soda, and water to help them shine bright. If that doesn’t work, replacing the bulb should do the trick. Make sure to check your interior lights as well!

Whether you’ll be driving across the country or across town this year, our auto mechanics are always available to examine your tires, fluid levels, belts, lights, wipers, battery, and more, and help you check these five things off your car maintenance checklist. Make vehicle maintenance a priority this spring to protect yourself and prolong the life of your vehicle!