How to Get Your Vehicle Ready for Summer
Summer is officially here. Is your vehicle ready?
Check these boxes off of your to-do list and know that you’re riding safely and in style all season long. From detailing tips to general preventative maintenance, here’s what you need to know.
Detail Your Summer Driver Well
Whether your summer car is also your winter car, or you have something unique stored in the garage for the summer occasion, keeping it fresh makes it feel great and work even better. Detailing your car includes both the interior and exterior and leaves no signs of seasons past behind.
With your exterior wash, the most important thing to keep in mind isn’t how sleek your vehicle looks but getting any remaining winter sand off of the vehicle. Aside from washing your car’s body, make sure to clean the wheel wells and undercarriage thoroughly. This will prevent salt from corroding your vehicle. Then you can focus on washing and waxing your way into Toronto’s car clubs.
When we detail interiors, we leave no mat left unturned. Depending on your level of detailing required, shampoo the seats and floor mats. Make sure to be thorough and that everything is dried well. If you’re not sure, or simply don’t have the time, we can help you out with a detailing appointment.
If you’re ready to take it a step further, take to the wheels. Polishing your chrome or alloy wheels can be a step up from just a wash and will last longer as well. You can also find kits to help you apply that dark, new vehicle shine, to your tires. Have you noticed how sleek the tires look on new vehicles compared to others? That look can be achieved with a polishing using specialized compounds. Beyond the wheels, older vehicles also gain a new lease on life by having their headlights polished; it keeps your vehicle looking new, and your pathway well-lit.
Check Yourself Before you hit the 401
Nothing means that you’re ready for a summer road trip or journey to the cottage like a trusted ride. When we come out of wet springs and slippery winters, it’s important to make sure that your vehicle has recovered. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you hit the open road.
Your battery: this can be tested at many gas stations. Your vehicle will most-likely warn you if it’s on the way out, but testing can make you all that more prepared for that moment.
Windshield wipers: make sure they’re in working order and not giving you streaks, this will keep your field of vision clear and you looking sharp. It’s also important to make sure that your windshield washer fluid is topped up and readily available; nothing is worse than not being able to clean a mosquito graveyard off of your windshield or getting stuck behind a truck that leaves you behind in a storm.
Fluids: There is more going on under the hood than we often think about. It’s incredibly important to keep your oil both clean and topped up. Few things are worse for your vehicle than letting the oil run dry.
Tire Pressure: This one is often forgotten, but truly important. When the seasons change, your tire pressure often does the same without letting you know. This is because changes in temperature can cause your tire pressure to increase or decrease accordingly. When we transition into hotter months, tires can contain less pressure from the cold air experienced during the winter. A $5 tire pressure gauge from a gas station can help you match your pressure to the guidelines found on the wheel wells. If you’re stopping by, our professionals can show you where and help you check it.
That should get you off to the races, just don’t try to find Drake on the Gardiner. Giving your vehicle a thorough visual inspection alongside checking these important seasonal items will ensure that you’re operating safely all year long. Better yet, you’ll get to the cottage safely and you’ll look good doing it. Book an appointment with our service department for your detailing or maintenance, and make enjoying the summer that much easier.
