A springtime car check-up might be necessary after a winter season. You can do the basic housekeeping tasks for your car: Clean out your trunk, remove any winter gear, and wash your car to remove salt deposits. For ambitious projects in the automotive industry, the experts at ASE (the non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) have the following advice:
• Read the owner’s manual and follow the recommended service schedules.
• If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, look for an orderly repair shop with modern equipment in the service bays and qualified automotive technicians as evidenced by trade school diplomas, certificates of advanced courses and ASE certifications.
• Have engine performance problems — hard starts, rough idling, stalling — corrected now, before summer’s demanding stop-and-go vacation traffic.
• For comfort in hot weather now’s the time, too, to have a marginally working air conditioning system serviced.
• Flush and refill the cooling system according to the service manual’s recommendations. It is important to check the level, condition, concentration, and quality of the coolant on a regular basis. Before removing the radiator cap, ensure that the engine has cooled.
• A qualified auto technician should check the tightness and condition of belts, clamps and hoses, but you can look for signs of wear, cracking, or fraying.
• Replace other filters (air, fuel, PCV, etc.) Follow the instructions in your service manual.
• Check the condition of tires, including the spare. Check the tires. “cool down”Before checking their pressure. Uneven wear, “cupping,”Vibrations, or “pulling”A slant to the one side can indicate problems with your suspension system or tires. If snow tires are required, have them pulled and replaced by seasonal tires.
• Change the oil and oil filter as specified in owner’s manual. This simple service can be neglected but is one of many ways to prolong the life of your vehicle.
ASE was established to improve the quality and safety of automobile service and repair. It offers voluntary testing and certification for automotive technicians. ASE-certified technicians are issued credentials that list their specific area of certification. They wear blue and white shoulder badges and have a certificate. The blue and white ASE sign is often displayed by their employers. Visit www.ase.comFor more tips on car care, click here
