From snow storms to rainy days to extreme heat, vehicles endure a lot throughout the year. Because of changing temperatures and seasonal storms, your car requires thorough attention during every season. Although car maintenance can seem like a hassle, proper care of your vehicle provides efficiency and offers peace of mind on your travels. To make your tune-ups a little bit easier, follow our seasonal car maintenance checklist to ensure your car thrives all year!

Winter Vehicle Tune-Ups

Winter is not the time to give car maintenance the cold shoulder since chilly weather calls for consistent tune-ups and safety checks. We’ve outlined a few priorities that should be followed up on to prepare for the winter months.

Heating

To start, how are your heaters holding up? Don’t be stuck in the dead of winter with a faulty heating system. Make sure to check in on your engine’s coolant levels, heater fans, HVAC controls, and heater core.

Headlights

Next up, it is important to check that your headlights are working to the best of their ability. Snow storms are difficult to navigate regardless, so ensure your vehicle is equipped with powerful headlights for your winter journeys. Are you already thinking about your next winter trek? Illuminate your vehicle with Ford vehicle fog light kits to increase visibility during storms and hazy nights. 

Snow & Ice Maintenance

Winter can get messy, but your car doesn’t have to be! Keep your Ford vehicle’s carpet safe from dirt and snow with all-terrain floor mats fitted with deep grooves and raised ridges to stop all the winter muck!

Prepare For a Rainy Day: Spring Car Maintenance 

When it’s time for spring cleaning, it’s time for a spring tune-up! Spring is a great time to prepare your car for rising temperatures. Before summer hits, consider visiting your Ford dealer for a spring tune-up to check your oil, spark plugs, battery, and engine coolant. After the wear of winter, who knows what your car may be lacking? Trust us, you’re better safe than sorry when it comes to your vehicle! Spring into these tips to ensure your vehicle is cared for as the weather warms up and the rain falls harder. 

Monitoring Your Wipers

Faulty wipers can damage or scratch your windshield, so they should be replaced every six to twelve months. Wipers also commonly break during winter while enduring the elements, so be sure to inspect your blades for cracks, inconsistencies, or warping in preparation for spring. 

Staying Dry

As we all know, when it rains it pours. Remember to check your car’s weather stripping to prevent leaks inside your vehicle. If you’re driving a truck or open vehicle, be sure to also keep your truck bed and valuables dry with a durable tonneau cover. And what about the accumulation of mud on your vehicle? Take on mud, debris, snow, and rain with our wide variety of front and rear splash guards. Dirty messes can take a raincheck this spring! 

Steering into Summer Tune-Ups

As the heat intensifies, there are a few actions you can take to ensure your car conquers the summer slump! Make sure your vehicle powers through all of your summer road trips by taking a look at the following parts.

Check A/C and Cooling

Beat the heat this summer with fully operating air conditioning vents. If you notice any strange noises, weak air, or if your vents are only pumping room-temperature air, stop in for a tune-up. Also, be sure to check your refrigerant levels for efficient cooling.

Monitor Your Battery

Heat is not your car battery’s best friend. With consistently high temperatures, batteries will become less efficient and weaken over time. To monitor your battery, make sure to check your battery’s charge with the help of a voltmeter.

Don’t let a dead battery catch you off guard! Be summer ready with one of our battery jump starters. Monitoring your battery may slip your mind, but a jump starter provides peace of mind to keep you charged for the road ahead. 

Protect Your Interior

Powerful UV rays are extremely damaging to your car’s interior and can lead to the deterioration of your upholstery. To protect your car from the sun, invest in a windshield sunscreen for parking during the summer. Designed with a reflective outer layer to keep your vehicle cool, you can say goodbye to your boiling steering wheel!

Turn Over a New Leaf: Fall Car Maintenance 

Fall is the perfect time of year to prepare your car for winter and the upcoming cold weather. Get ready for the sudden drop in temperatures by checking these components of your vehicle.

Engine Cooling System 

Prevent your car from freezing in the cold by monitoring your coolant levels. Remember, your coolant should be full, light-colored, and younger than two years. If not, it should be flushed and replaced. For more assistance in changing your coolant, visit your local Ford dealer or service center.

Oil

As the temperature changes, so should your oil. For cold engines to operate properly, thinner oil must be used during the fall and winter months. Without the correct type of oil, significant wear will be placed on your vehicle and engine.  

Brakes and Tires

Snow and ice reduce the friction between your tires and the road, which can make braking and stopping more difficult. To put it simply, driving on bald tires and faulty brakes is a recipe for disaster on winter drives. Before the seasons change from fall to winter, be sure to replace your tires and upgrade your brakes to prepare for the cold! Needing a brake upgrade ASAP? Check out our high-quality brake upgrade kits to increase your vehicle’s safety today.

Take Pride in Your Vehicle

Rain or shine, your car needs attention during every season. Vehicle maintenance can sound like a huge job, but with consistent tune-ups year-round, you can help avoid unlucky surprises. Remember to keep this checklist in mind while navigating your next tune-up and seasonal maintenance! 

Ready to prep your car for the next season? Explore our selection of preventative and protective accessory upgrades for your Ford vehicle.