Car Repair: Be Proactive With Car Care

Your car needs to be prepared for the changing seasons just as much as you do. In the summer time, you may busy yourself with getting the A/C in your home in working order, making arrangements for the kids to stay safe while you're at work, or just planning out a cool vacation to the beach. However, don't forget about your car and its needs as the weather changes! Preparing your car for the weather ahead is an important aspect of car maintenance that can help you avoid the need for costly car repair somewhere down the road.

There are a few things that you should be aware of and check off your to-do list, even if you don't know much about cars. For example, your air filter has to be changed twice a year, so why not make that a seasonal event and change it out? This is a particularly easy car repair, and you can do it in five minutes without the use of any tools. For most vehicles, it is simply a matter of unscrewing a wing nut and bolt, taking the lid off of and swapping out the air filter. Any auto parts store can set you up with the correct filter based on your car make, model and year. 

Another simple thing to check is your tires. If you live in an icy climate, you probably had studded tires on your car during the cold weather months, and now you need to switch back to non studded tires. When you do the switch back, it's a good time to look at your tire tread and air pressure. These are easy things to check, and if you have any doubts, you can go into any tire store and have them looked at for free. If your tire tread is poor or your air pressure is low, your car won't drive as well as it should. Before you take your car into the shop to find out why it's driving so poorly, take a look at your tires for the answer.

Another easy car repair is your windshield wipers. Winter weather conditions can be harsh on your wipers. Road salt, dirt, and freezing cold temperatures can work to break down the rubber on the wiper blades, and even if you don't think about using the wipers in the summer time, you may be surprised by an unexpected summer rain shower, so don't overlook your wipers.

Winter driving conditions can also be hard on your brakes, and you may need to get them checked out. If you live in an area that gets icy roads, the city will likely put something down to deice the roads. However, these methods are generally taxing on your braking system. If your brakes are squealing, it may be time for new pads or shoes or it may be something caught in your brakes interfering with their ability to work properly. You can always have your brakes professionally checked when you have your tires checked.

These are all simple preventive steps you can take on your own to make sure you aren't facing any unexpected car repair bills or unwanted surprises. So be proactive and be prepared by making this a ritual with every season change.