Each year, the Car Care Council designates two months — usually April and October — to bring attention to car care and preventative maintenance. This time of year, slick, wet roads and allergies can affect your driving.
As winter comes to a close, it’s time to prep your car for the spring and summer months and fix any issues that occurred during the cold season. Continue on to learn how you can participate in National Car Care Month initiatives to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape.
National Car Care Month Maintenance Tips
Check your tires
While many North Carolina drivers rely on all-season tires, snow tires, or winter tires, can be an option for the cold season, especially for those in rural areas. If you mounted winter tires on your vehicle, it’s time to replace them with all-season or summer performance tires. While winter tires give you more traction on snowy and icy roads, they will wear down quickly in warmer temperatures.
If you’ve been using all-season tires all along, now’s a good time to check the tread. Insert a penny into your tire’s tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside-down. If all of Lincoln’s head is visible, it’s time to replace your tires.
Because bald tires can cause you to lose traction and hydroplane on wet surfaces, you should replace them before the rainy season settles in.
Change your cabin air filter
Pollen allergies act up this time of year, as trees, grasses, and weeds release tiny grains into the air to fertilize other plants. While the City of Oaks looks absolutely stunning with its beautiful trees and flowers, allergy sufferers definitely feel the effects of the warm spring season. But did you know that you can minimize symptoms with basic annual maintenance on your car?
If you suffer from allergies, you may want to replace the cabin air filter in your vehicle once a year. A clogged or dirty filter can worsen your allergies, because it can’t do its job of removing allergens from the air that enters your vehicle.
While you may be able to replace the air filter yourself, it’s best to leave this project to the professionals to not only ensure proper installation but also so you don’t come in contact with eye-watering, headache-inducing pollen.
Schedule Car Care Maintenance at Thompson Buick GMC
This National Car Care Month, make sure your tires are in good shape, your air filter is replaced, and that your car is ready to go for the next few months. Schedule an appointment at the Thompson Buick GMC service center, and look out for service coupons that can help you save on your next visit.