Keeping on top of vehicle maintenance can ensure that your car is not only looking its best, but driving at its best as well. From regular fluid changes to routine tyre checks, keeping on top of maintenance year-round will help to keep your car at the top of its game.
Here at David Hayton, we’re on hand to provide top-level vehicle servicing for those more in-depth jobs, but if you’re keen on doing some basic checks yourself, what should you be looking for? Here, we’re going to go through each season, the checks you should be doing during them and the ideal cars for the job during those periods.
Spring
Spring is all about fresh starts. This applies to cars, too, and this season provides the ideal time to give your car a thorough going-over. Now that temperatures are starting to increase, it can be a good idea to remove any large, bulky winter coats and bags that you might have inside the car. Not only does it make things tidier, but it’ll also help to reduce your car’s weight overall, which will, in turn, improve fuel efficiency.
It’s a great opportunity to give your car a really good clean, too. Winter often brings with it a greater amount of grit and grime on the roads, so a deep clean on the outside can help to preserve your car’s paint. Pay particular attention to the wheel arches, too, as this is where grit can accumulate and start to corrode the bodywork.
The best car for springtime? We’d opt for the Mazda2 Hybrid. It’s the ideal car to make the most of slightly longer days, while its fuel-efficient hybrid engine can ensure that trips to the petrol station aren’t too frequent.
Summer
With warmer temperatures, longer days and lighter evenings, it’s a great time for a car adventure - but you still need to make sure you’re keeping on top of maintenance. During warmer spells, ensuring that your car has the right amount of coolant is paramount, as it helps your car to maintain a proper temperature and prevent overheating. Likewise, it’s during summertime that most people notice that their car’s air conditioning isn’t working properly. A re-gas is usually the solution, and it’s relatively inexpensive to have done, too.
What should you be driving during summer, though? Well, for a proper summer adventure, you need something big and comfortable, which is why we’d recommend the CX-80. It’s got space for seven, so the whole family can come along for that summer road trip.
Autumn
Autumn tends to mean that the nights are drawing in around you and the prospect of winter is on the horizon. For that reason, the new CX-60 with its high-performance LED headlights could be an ideal choice and a great way to make sure that the route ahead is as clear as possible.
During autumn, we’d recommend getting prepared for winter. Things like making sure that your car’s washer fluid bottle is filled with proper washer fluid - rather than water - are essential, as using just water could lead to the risk of freezing and damage to the car’s components.
Winter
Finally, we have winter and arguably some of the most treacherous driving conditions that a year can offer. During winter, it can be tempting to rush into the house each evening and leave issues with your car to linger until the weather improves, but it’s paramount that you keep on top of things. One of the most noticeable is stone chips. When these occur, they’re often worsened by colder temperatures, which can expand the issue and make it into a far larger and more dangerous crack. The good news is that when identified early, a stone chip can be quickly and safely repaired before it gets any worse.
For winter, what about the Mazda MX-30 REV? With an efficient plug-in hybrid engine, it’s great on fuel, but importantly, you can pre-heat the cabin to your desired temperature before you leave the house. Getting into a frosty car interior? A thing of the past with the Mazda MX-30 REV.