Does Your Spring Cleaning Include Your Vehicle?

Your vehicle has carried you through wind, snow, ice, and copious amounts of salt. Time to give it some TLC.

Get your car ready for summer

You may not have had a chance to inspect your vehicle since you put your winter tires on. Well, now that winter is behind us, it’s time to give your car the care it needs.

1. Change your tires

To stay safe on the roads, change your snow tires to all-season or summer tires once you know that the warm weather is back for good.

It’s important to change your tires because winter tires aren’t designed for hot summer temperatures. They can even become a safety hazard by overheating and increasing the risk of a blowout.

Using winter tires in the spring and summer also increases your braking distances and wears the tires down prematurely, costing you more in the long run.

2. Have your vehicle inspected by a professional

Why not have it inspected while the tires are being changed? It’ll be up on the lift anyway.

All garages have a visual check and inspection plan covering multiple points under the hood and the vehicle. This usually includes:

• Brakes, steering, suspension
• Battery charge, headlights, and position lights
• Essential fluids like motor oil, transmission fluid, and coolant

3. Give it a good clean

Even if you leave the technical stuff to your mechanic, you can still invest some time washing the winter grime off your car.

• Put winter equipment away (shovels, cables, blankets, traction aids)
• Give the carpets a thorough cleaning and vacuuming
• Wash and wax the body
• Clean the windows and plastic surfaces to prevent discoloration and cracking
• Check the condition of the vehicle body (it’s easy to repair minor chips)

Good reasons to take care of your car

At the end of the day, a little effort in the spring can pay dividends: your car will be cleaner, safer, and more reliable. Keeping your car in good condition could even save you money on major repairs over the long term.

To find out more, call 1-888-476-8737.

Or visit thepersonal.com/ospe

This article is being provided by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers on behalf of The Personal which has a group sponsorship agreement with regards to home and auto insurance for our members.

The Personal refers to The Personal General Insurance Inc. in Quebec and The Personal Insurance Company in all other provinces and territories of Canada.

The information and advice in this article are provided for informational purposes only. The Personal shall not be liable for any damages or losses arising from any reliance upon such information or advice. The Personal recommends using caution and consulting with experts with respect to the proper use, installation and storage of any products referred to herein.