April may have been National Car Care Month — but if your vehicle didn’t get the attention it deserved last month, don’t worry. There’s no bad time to show your car some love, especially with summer road trips just around the corner.
Start with the basics: tires, battery and fluids
Tires are your car’s only contact with the road, so they’re a great place to start. Check your tire pressure monthly (the recommended PSI is on a sticker inside your driver’s door), inspect tread depth using the quarter test — insert a quarter upside down into the tread; if the tread doesn’t reach the top of Washington’s head, it’s time for new tires — and look for cracks, bulges or signs of uneven wear. Don’t forget to check your spare, too.
Next, have your battery tested. Cold winters are hard on batteries, and the transition to summer heat can push a weakened one over the edge. Many auto parts stores offer free testing — well worth the 10-minute stop. If your battery is more than three years old, an annual test is a smart habit.
Fluids are another quick win. Run through the essentials: engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid. Coolant is especially important heading into warmer weather, since it’s what keeps your engine from overheating on long summer drives.
Don’t overlook the easy stuff
A few smaller checks can make a big difference. Test your windshield wipers — winter tends to leave blades cracked and streaky, and spring showers will put them to work quickly. Run your air conditioning now so you have time to address any issues before the heat kicks in. And take a look under the hood at your belts and hoses; cold temperatures can cause rubber components to harden and crack, and a failed belt on the highway is no fun for anyone.
While you’re at it, give your car a thorough wash — undercarriage included. Winter road salt builds up in places you can’t easily see, and left untreated, it leads to rust.
Whether you tackle this checklist yourself or book a visit with your mechanic, a little attention now goes a long way. And before any big trip, it’s worth checking for open safety recalls at NHTSA.gov/Recalls — just enter your VIN to see if anything needs addressing.
Have a summer road trip on the calendar? Share your destination with the Shop Talk community — and let us know your go-to car care tips while you’re at it!
Did you know? EVs need spring TLC too
Electric vehicle owners can skip the oil change and spark plug check — but spring maintenance still matters. EVs are heavier than conventional vehicles due to their large battery packs, which puts extra stress on tires, so tire rotation is typically needed every 5,000–8,000 miles. EVs also have a 12-volt auxiliary battery that powers accessories and electronics, and it can discharge silently — especially after extended periods of inactivity or in cold temperatures — leaving you unable to start the car even with a full main battery. And don’t forget: keeping your main battery charge between 20% and 80% for daily driving helps protect long-term battery health — a good habit to revisit as summer road trips (and longer driving days) approach.
Don’t have a car.
Here’s the thing as I see it ..
This is all common sense that we learned to do (and even if no one showed us, we read the vehicle manual) to learn how to care for our vehicles — everything from Fluid levels, checking brakes, checking air pressure, changing wiper blades, making sure all the lights worked, etc.
(yes, this is something we all figured out on our own over 5 decades ago — and sure, vehicles nowadays are far more complicated with all the electronics, but that’s no excuse for not knowing where to check fluid levels, not reading your manual, not caring for your vehicle in any way)
I am also flabbergasted about the article simple instructions for checking for recalls given those are sent directly to the owner of record, you can see what the recall is about, and all you have to do is call your dealership and set up an appointment to have the work done!
Then to have to explain simple car washing (when you don’t need to have some fancy car wash drive through, you just need an electric power washer to attach to your hose), is frustrating to read. There’s a small attachment that can be added to your power washer that you can roll under your vehicle and that will spray upwards the soap and rinse for your undercarriage! (I think I paid about $20 for that attachment — so it is not too expensive (in fact, cheaper than a dinner out!)
Great advice for car care.
I have already taken my car in for the spring check up and they found a couple things that will make my summer driving safer.
I am proud to say that when my husband begins checking the car fluids, he lets me work by his side so that I am able to follow and learn what needs to be checked and what to do when the fluids are low and need refilling. I also learned how to change the windshield wipers with my husband’s help. I enjoy working along side him while getting worthwhile lessons about the car.
what a great article.
All done
Great tips! Thank you for sharing them!