A funny thing about writing as frequently as we do about auto service is that, for better or worse, it’s a year-round thing. So, while we certainly can suggest tips for maintaining your vehicle on a seasonal basis, it often makes more sense to figure out how you can make your service a year-round affair. The best way to do this is to break it down into warmer and colder months, and to then use this simple guide to care for your car year-round. For all of your service needs, visit us at Avondale Nissan, and have safe travels out there!
Spring and Summer Car Care
There are many areas that hold up to the summer-vs-winter rubric, and one of the most obvious is with seasonal tires. Many drivers — even in as temperate an area as Arizona — opt for different tires during the winter months, especially if they’re routinely making trips into the mountains of Colorado or California for snow activities. So, in the spring months, you’ll want to return the regular tires to your vehicles, since the winter-weather tires will ride rougher and generate worse fuel economy.
Read More: Identifying Problematic Car Noises
This is also a good time to make certain that your air conditioning is working properly. (You might remember that we mentioned this just a few weeks ago here.) Even in Phoenix, you won’t use your A/C as often in the winter as you do in the summer, so it’s important to take your vehicle in to have your A/C serviced when we’re heading into the hotter summer months. Finally, be certain that you change your air filter after the winter. During colder months, you’ll encounter more things that can clog up your filter, such as leaves, dust and road salt (in colder areas). A dirty air filter makes your car perform poorly and can diminish your fuel economy by as much as 10%, so it’s recommended to be changed yearly or every 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you can’t remember the last time you changed yours, it’s probably a good time to get on that.
Fall and Winter Car Care
With the aforementioned passage about seasonal tire sets, can you guess what we’re about to suggest you do when winter comes around? You guessed it; put your winter tires back on. Although you’ll likely ride a little rougher and maybe see a little dip in fuel economy, it’s worth it to ensure that you’ll stay on the road in inclimate weather conditions.
Read More: Extend the Life of your Tires
Even though we don’t get as cold of weather as other areas, this is also a very good time to have your heating system checked. Of course, the main goal of any heating system is to keep you comfortable, it also interacts with other systems, so it’s a good way to give your overall vehicle a check. Make sure that your fluids are full in particular, including your antifreeze and washer fluid.
There are obviously many more areas that you could look at for your year-round care, which is where our service department at Avondale Nissan comes in. Visit us for more assistance, or look at our “auto service” category on our blog for more information!
