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9 Tips for your Spring Vehicle Checkup

posted on 3/18/2015 3:16:51 PM

The temperatures are inching upward, the days are getting longer and the first buds are starting to appear on the trees. Spring is on its way, and  soon it’s going to be time to do a little preventive maintenance on your ride. No need to dread it -- it’s all pretty routine stuff!

  1. Air filter - If you haven’t changed your air filter since last year (or can’t remember when you changed it at all), it might be time. It’s an easy and cheap fix, and it pays off in your vehicle’s performance and fuel economy.
  2. Cabin filter - Older vehicles often don’t have a cabin filter, but it can make a lot of difference in how pleasant your vehicle is to drive. Stale, smelly air? Change it!
  3. Wipers -- Get a good look at them. Are they showing signs of age like cracks, dry rot, chips or gouges? Are they doing an effective job of clearing water from your windshield, with no streaks or gaps? No? Then go ahead and have them changed -- it’s another easy and cheap fix that makes a big difference in safety.
  4. Ignition - If you have a car built with a distributor and spark plug wires, have the plug wires checked for cracks, damage and arcing. If not, have each coil pack checked for a snug, positive fit on the spark plug itself.
  5. Hoses - We’re not just talking about the main hoses for the radiator and transmission coolant lines here, although those are very important. Your vehicle relies on dozens of vacuum lines to control and regulate certain functions, some no bigger than a piece of spaghetti. A dry-rotted, disconnected, leaky or degraded vacuum line can cause problems in drivability and performance that can bedevil your vehicle. When having your radiator/transmission hoses and belts checked for condition, snug connections and tension, have a technician give the vacuum lines a once-over as well.
  6. Tires - This one, of course, is a biggie. Get a good look at your tires for irregularities in the tread...run your hand along the tread itself and feel for uneven “feathered’ patterns which could indicate front-end problems. Look for age/weather cracks, bulges or other flaws in the sidewall that could mean imminent tire failure. Check the treads for uneven wear at the inside or outside edges, a sure tipoff of front-end alignment that’s out of spec. Have your tires rotated (you should be doing rotations regularly anyway) and check tread depth. States require a minimum depth of 2/32” for safety...the easiest way to gauge this is to stick a penny into the tread with Lincoln’s head down. If the top of the tread touches Abe’s head, you’re in good shape (some now recommend doing this with a nickel or quarter instead).
  7. Battery - Cold-weather cranking is hard on a battery and charging system, and batteries can be prone to corrosion during the winter as well. Have a tech test your battery and charging system, and have him also get a good look at the terminals, cables and clamps for signs of corrosion (fluffy greenish-white deposits) which can affect charging and starting performance.
  8. Radiator flush - It’s easy to forget about your cooling system, but it should have a pressure test, flush and refill with fresh coolant yearly. Even in the cleanest radiator and cooling systems, coolant can pick up rust and corrosion which can cause it to break down and lose its effectiveness.
  9. Headlights - Are they all working? What kind of shape are the clear headlight covers in? If they’re cloudy, a light buffing can help the effectiveness of your headlights tremendously.


So, there you have it -- nine tips that can make your spring and summer driving a lot more pleasant and give you peace of mind (and for not a whole lot of money).

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The GOODYEAR SPRING PROMOTION EVENT is a manufacturer’s mail-in rebate. This is a consumer tire rebate event for select Goodyear tires. To qualify for this event, you must purchase your eligible tires between March 11, 2024, and the expiry date of June 30, 2024. One mail-in rebate form per sales receipt/invoice. Limit one (1) mail-in or online rebate per qualifying purchase, per visit. Limit one (1) rebate form per tire purchase, per envelope. Limit four (4) rebates per individual consumer, per promotion period. Federal and provincial taxes are calculated on the selling price before the rebate. Purchase of a minimum of a set of four tires is required to receive the full rebate amount. Rebates are also available per tire on a prorated basis with a minimum purchase of four tires and a maximum purchase of six tires per sales receipt/invoice. The consumer must submit the rebate form online or fill out and mail the form along with a copy of the original sales receipt/invoice to the address printed on the form postmarked on or before July 31, 2024. Offer is only open to residents of Canada and is only valid for tire purchases from a participating Canadian retailer that operates a retail location in Canada. This mail-in rebate offer cannot be combined with any other Goodyear rebate offer. This is a consumer rebate that also applies to business-to-business purchases, excluding tires sold to national accounts, government accounts, P&R accounts, secondary supply points, other retailers or any other delivery for the account of Goodyear. All sales receipts/invoices submitted must include detailed product and customer sold-to information to be eligible for rebates. The participating retailer is solely responsible for determining the selling price of the tires without direction from Goodyear. Visit goodyear.ca or see a participating retailer for more details. 

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Additional terms and conditions: Goodyear reserves the right to substitute a cheque of equal value in lieu of a Goodyear Prepaid Mastercard or Virtual Account at its discretion. Fraudulent submissions will not be honoured and may be prosecuted. Goodyear is not responsible for non-complying rebate submissions or for lost, late, illegible, postage-due or undeliverable mail. Non-complying rebate submissions will not be honoured, acknowledged or returned. Void where taxed, restricted or prohibited by law. All decisions made by Goodyear (or its authorized representatives) relating to the validity of any submissions are final and binding. This promotion is subject to all federal, provincial, and local laws and regulations. Retain copies of the materials you submit. 

Tire rebate will be issued in the form of one (1) Goodyear Mastercard® Prepaid Card or Virtual Account. Card/Virtual Account is issued by Peoples Trust Company under licence from Mastercard International. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. No cash access or recurring payments. Card can be used where Mastercard is accepted. Virtual Account can be used online or for phone/mail orders where Mastercard is accepted. Card/Virtual Account valid for up to 6 months; unused funds will be forfeited after the valid thru date. Card terms and conditions apply. 

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