Winter fights back - opportunity to check the car for warm-weather driving ahead

Spring made an appearance a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, winter made a repeat performance and beat spring back for a while. For many of us here in McHenry County, that was discouraging news. We were ready for spring. We were even eager for spring.

Many mothers and fathers here in McHenry County have a very good reason for welcoming the arrival of spring; they’ve noticed that their children are exhibiting signs of cabin fever. Rest assured, spring will push winter out of the way, eventually. But, maybe this winter interlude is an opportunity.

With the full arrival of spring, mothers and fathers throughout McHenry County will suddenly find their schedules compacted with additional responsibilities, such as driving the children to soccer and baseball practices and games. This winter interlude may be just the ticket providing a space in time for having the car checked out for the spring and summer ahead.

The summer will almost certainly include day trips, maybe a vacation or two and the aforementioned delivery of children to sporting and other events. Winter is hard on a car and spring is the time to make sure winter didn’t do any serious harm to the vehicle. Spring is also the time to do post-winter maintenance.

These efforts will help to ensure that your busy spring and summer aren’t interrupted on the side of the road somewhere when the car breaks down. They will also ensure that your vehicle is operating at peak performance.

What is required to make sure your vehicle is ready for the warm weather ahead? That depends, somewhat, on how good of a job you’ve done keeping up with maintenance so far. The following are some of the automotive maintenance issues to consider:

Changing the oil – Check your owner’s manual to see the prescribed schedule for changing the oil. However, it’s generally done every few months or every few thousand miles, whichever comes first.
Cooling system – Your cooling system doubles as a heating system in the winter, creating heat you use to stay warm inside the car. In the warmer months, it shifts almost strictly to a cooling role, removing excessive heat from the engine. You’ll want to make sure the hoses are in good shape, the water pump is pumping and nothing is leaking. You’ll also want the coolant/antifreeze checked to ensure it is up to the job.
Charging system – Congratulations, your charging system has taken you through the heart of winter. Winter, however, plays rough with the charging system. You’ll want to have your batter, starter, alternator and other parts related to the charging system checked.
Brakes – Brakes are a vital component anytime of the year. Knowing that your brakes are up to the task in an emergency is a comfort. And if they are up to the task, you may find it is less likely you’ll have an emergency.
Suspension & Steering – Winter breeds potholes. Potholes breed steering and suspension wear. In some cases, steering and suspension parts are broken as a result. Even if that’s not the case, your alignment is quite possibly out of whack.
Air Conditioning - As the weather gets warmer, you're almost certain to want to use the air conditioning. Even if you test it yourself now, because it's still cool out, it doesn't have to work very hard; you may want it tested to make sure it will do the job during the hotter days of summer ahead.

Whether the winter of 2014-2015 is ready to bow out gracefully in McHenry County, or it’s planning to stick around a while and kick up a fuss, this is a good time to make sure the car is ready for the warm weather ahead. And that warm weather is most definitely coming.

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