Prepare Your Vehicle for Spring

Spring is right around the corner. Whether you drive a car, truck or SUV, you should use this opportunity to prepare it for the upcoming spring season. Taking just a few simple precautions can improve the performance of your vehicle while allowing for a more comfortable and enjoyable driving experience in the process.

Replace Wiper Blades

When was the last time that you replaced your vehicle's windshield wiper blades? If it's been several months or longer, you may want to replace them. The transition from winter to spring brings rain. If your vehicle has battered or heavily worn wiper blades, you may struggle to see through the windshield when it rains. Fortunately, wiper blades are inexpensive and easy to install. You can purchase them for about $15 to $30, and you can install them in as little as five minutes.

Check Tire Pressure

To prepare your vehicle for spring, check the tires with a tire pressure gauge to ensure they are properly inflated. Temperature changes can cause fluctuations in tire pressure For every 10-degree drop in air temperature, tire pressure will reduce by about 1 to 2 pounds per square inches (PSI). Conversely, an increase in air temperature will result in a higher PSI.

Therefore, you should check your vehicle's tire pressure as the weather begins to warm. If they are underinflated, inflate them to the appropriate PSI. If they are overinflated, release some of the air so that the PSI drops.

Change Cabin Air Filter

You should consider changing the cabin air filter to prepare your vehicle for spring. Pollen, of course, is common during this time of year. Regardless of where you live, you'll inevitably be exposed to pollen. 

To keep your vehicle's cabin clean and pollen free, you'll need to use a fresh cabin filter. The cabin filter is an air filter that removes pollutants and particulate matter -- including pollen -- from the air that goes into your vehicle's cabin.

Test the Battery

Another tip to prepare your vehicle for spring is to test the battery. Automotive batteries can degrade during the cold winter weather. Exposure to cold weather, in fact, can lower the charge capacity of your vehicle's battery by up to 60%. While these effects are usually temporary, your vehicle's battery will gradually degrade with each passing winter.

Before replacing your vehicle's battery, though, you should test it. Testing requires the use of a multimeter to measure the voltage. After connecting it to both the positive and negative terminals, the multimeter should read around 12.6 volts.