Spring Car Maintenance Tips: Prepping Your Vehicle For Nebraska Roads

While winter is tough on every car, the salt and potholes in Omaha and Lincoln require specific attention this April. What’s more, spring temperature swings in Nebraska can wreak havoc on your tires’ psi levels, which can increase the risks of flats and blowouts and jeopardize the handling and control of your vehicle. For these reasons and more, vehicle servicing and maintenance should be a priority this spring as your ride shakes off the challenges of winter and faces the potential issues of the changing season. To ensure you schedule the most appropriate vehicle maintenance service, the Sid Dillon service team shares some car maintenance tips for spring.

What Is The Best Way To Remove Salt From Your Car?

How To Remove Salt From Your Car’s Carpet

If you live anywhere that gets snowy or icy during the winter months, like Fremont, road salt is an inevitability that you’ll need to deal with. While necessary for de-icing roads and pedestrian walkways, road salt can corrode and rust your car and even damage critical parts like brake lines and fuel lines. While the solution for the exterior of your car can be as simple as taking it in for a wash and getting it waxed, what is the best way to remove salt from your car’s carpet? 

Fortunately, there’s a simple DIY solution you can try to remove salt from your car carpet. First, you’ll need the following supplies:

• White vinegar
• Warm water
• A stiff brush
• A towel or paper towels
• A sponge

After you’ve gathered your supplies, try this: 

1. Create a 50:50 solution with the vinegar and water.
2. Spray down the carpet and let it sit for a few minutes.
3. Lightly scrub the surface of the carpet with the brush. This should loosen the salt. 
4. Soak up the excess solution and salt with your towel/paper towels.
5. Soak the sponge in warm water, and use it to blot the carpet. Be gentle and try to avoid soaking the carpet, as this may cause mildew if it is not properly dried.
6. Let your carpet air dry. Try leaving your car door open or using a fan to circulate air in your car cabin. This should speed up the drying process. 

How To Remove Salt From The Exterior Of Your Car 

Most area drivers know that while tracking salt on the interior of your car can damage the carpets, the exterior of your vehicle takes a veritable beating from both the cold weather and how we manage it. Exposure to salt, for example, can significantly damage and rust the undercarriage of your car, and the cold itself can make rubber components like seals, gaskets, and hoses brittle, eventually leading to leaks. 

To best prepare your car for spring and to ensure that there isn’t any salt sneakily corroding important components, try the following DIY solution: 

1. Thoroughly hose off the exterior. Make sure to pay special attention to the undercarriage of your car and inside the wheel wells as you do so.
2. Wash the exterior of your car using car-washing soap. Take your time and be thorough!
3. After you rinse and dry your car, apply automotive wax. Not only will this give your car an attractive, glossy sheen, but it will also help to protect your paintwork from being damaged by environmental factors like salt. 

More Effective Car Maintenance Tips For Spring

Now that you know the best way to remove salt from your car, both inside and out, here are some additional effective car maintenance tips for spring:

• Check your wiper blades (they’ve been working hard all winter!)
• Top up fluids and check your engine compartment for brittle gaskets, seals, and hoses.
• Check and clean/replace filters as needed.
• Change your snow tires for all-weather tires.
• Check your tire pressure.
• Check your spare tire and replace it if it’s cracked, looks brittle, or dry.
• Get your battery checked.
• Check critical components like brakes, brake pads, rotors, and shock absorbers.
• Check alignment and steering. Lancaster and Douglas County roads are notoriously rough in April, thanks in large part to an abundance of potholes, making a professional alignment check a safety necessity.

Contact us for more tips on how you can prepare your car for the changing seasons so it remains safe and serviceable for years to come! You can also ask us about our vehicle maintenance service specials.

Schedule Vehicle Servicing & Maintenance In Omaha

Are you ready to prepare your vehicle for the months ahead? Contact us or use our online scheduler to make an appointment for springtime vehicle servicing and maintenance. By staying on top of your car, truck, or SUV’s changing upkeep needs throughout the year, you are helping get a maximum return on your investment and a long, enjoyable life out of the vehicle that serves you so well.

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