Spring Auto Cleaning: Repair the Damage Winter Does to Your Car, Truck, or SUV

Much of This Work You Can Do Yourself

Have both you and your car, truck, or SUV had more than your fill of winter driving conditions, roads with potholes and frost heaves, and temperature variations that defied even the best antifreeze? If so, take heart: spring is at hand. Yet, to help your car make the change from winter to spring, some auto repair and maintenance is sorely needed to correct the damage from winter and prepare your car for better days ahead.

First up, it's time to look at your tires. If you live in an area where it was best to put on snow tires, most communities and states require these be removed sometime between April and May 1st.

But even if you have all season tires, this is an excellent time to inspect your tires to determine if they need replacement. While you inspect, look for indications of uneven wear, or where your tread is more worn on one or two spots of some tires but not others.

Uneven tire wear usually signals one of two possible issues: you need to rotate your tires and/or have a computerized tire alignment performed on your vehicle. Tire rotation promotes far more even wear, while alignment can be critical for safe vehicle operation. If you notice a difference in how you steer vs. where your tires move, this is a sign your car needs a wheel alignment. This is especially true if the vehicle becomes downright difficult to steer.

Often, a good tire center will do alignment and tire rotation at the same time for a set price. Some centers even throw alignment in for free when you buy two or more tires at the same time. Check your local newspapers or with your local garage or tire center for seasonal specials on this work. Bear in mind that a well-aligned wheel base and good tires that are at their proper inflation can save you fuel; with today's gas prices, this matters.