Post-Winter Car Care: What Every Driver Should Check

If you made it through another Chicago winter without getting stuck in the snow or stranded in the cold, consider it a win. However, it’s not over yet: many of the real effects of winter show up in the spring.

Did Winter Take A Toll On Your Car? Consider These 5 Cold-Weather Factors:

1. Salt: The salt used to keep roads safe can also accelerate corrosion. Salt can slowly eat away at metal components like brake lines, the exhaust system and suspension parts.

2. Potholes: A pothole may have thrown your alignment off. Hitting even one pothole can affect your vehicle. Drivers often notice alignment issues when the steering wheel is no longer straight, or the vehicle pulls to one side. An alignment inspection will help determine whether the vehicle simply needs an alignment adjustment or if other suspension components may have been damaged.  You may also develop tire issues. If you notice an impact bubble, it’s time for a new tire. However, if you are consistently losing air you may have damaged the wheel itself.

3. Battery: Cold temperatures reduce the batteries’ ability to produce power while the engine requires more energy to start. Even if your battery has made it through the cold months, it may have been weakened by repeated cold starts. A battery test can determine if it has the capacity to last another season.

4. Fluids: During winter your vehicle’s fluids work harder than usual. Spring is a good time to check fluid conditions and make sure maintenance intervals haven’t been overlooked. Engine oil thickens in cold temperatures, so drivers who don’t put many miles on their vehicle may benefit from doing their annual oil change to start the season with fresh oil.

5. Brakes: When vehicles sit in cold, wet conditions brake rotors can develop surface rust quickly. Combine that with months of road salt and moisture, and brake components can begin to squeak, wear unevenly or stick.

Winter driving in Chicago is unavoidable, but a spring inspection can help catch small problems before they turn into expensive ones.

At Norwood Auto Service we provide a comprehensive 37-point digital inspection. Our inspection allows us to share photos and videos with the customer, so they can clearly see what our technicians see. We believe the more informed a customer is, the easier it is to make smart decisions about their vehicle’s care. 

Schedule your spring inspection today by calling (773) 774-7333 or visit www.NorwoodAutoService.com to learn more.