Spring Car Care for your Fiat

Your Fiat’s maintenance schedule doesn’t know the climate where you live, so it simply schedules maintenance procedures according to miles accumulated. However, to provide the best maintenance for your Fiat, one should always keep an eye on the expected weather in the coming months. Consequently, two of the most important maintenance intervals for your Fiat are in the fall as preparation for winter and in the spring as preparation for summer. 

We suggest Fiat of Kirkland’s service department as your venue for all of your maintenance needs, as our service technicians are the most familiar in the area with the Italian engineering and operational idiosyncrasies of your model. They know just what to look for in all maintenance procedures. The following are some of the procedures and areas of concern that should be part of any spring maintenance routine.

Change of both Oil and Oil Filter and a Coolant Inspection

The three purposes of engine oil are reducing friction, cooling, and cleaning. It is the latter that requires the oil to be replaced regularly as it regularly picks up impurities as it flows through the engine. The filter catches most of the impurities but over time, both the oil and the filter simply get too dirty and this reduces the oil’s effectiveness in all three of its functions. 

While winters and summers in the greater Seattle area aren’t as extreme as in many other parts of the country make sure you have the ideal oil weight for the prevailing temperatures of the coming season, particularly if you anticipate any cross-country travel. Spring is also a good time to have your engine coolant level and condition inspected so you can head into the hotter months of the year without worry. 

Battery Inspection or Replacement

Cold temperatures slow down the chemical processes that are necessary to carry a charge in your battery, making it work harder to start your car. The older your battery is, the more difficult it is to recover. Consequently, a battery failure in the summer may have been caused by its hard work in the winter. Fiat of Kirkland service technicians will check the strength of your battery and give you recommendations regarding any upcoming replacement needs.

Checking or Changing Your Tires

If you travel in enough snowy areas to install snow tires on your Fiat, good for you! Not enough people take that precaution. But, obviously, spring is a good time to make the switch back to regular tires. This is also a good time to have your tires checked to make sure they all have a tread depth greater than 5/32 inches all around. Your tires gain one to two pounds of air pressure for every 10-degree rise in outside temperature, which could put them over your Fiat’s recommended tire pressure, so make sure to check the tire pressure regularly.

Spring is also a time when potholes created by wet and freezing weather reveal themselves. If you’ve hit a few of these, you may be out of alignment and be increasing your tire wear without feeling it. Our technicians will check your alignment and make the necessary corrections.

Maintaining a Clear Vision

Colder weather may have hardened your wipers making them prone to streaking. If winter travel takes you to places where ice scraping is necessary, or where leaves and twigs may have worked their way under the blade edges, it is good to have them inspected and replaced if needed. Don’t forget the rear wiper. This is also a good time to make sure your reservoir washer is full. 

Summer Fun Means More Braking

As important as brakes are any time of the year, you may use them harder in the summer. There are several reasons for this. People tend to speed more in the summer due to a higher comfort level. School is out and young inexperienced drivers are spending more of their time on the road and having fun. There is also more construction taking place and bicyclists sharing the road. All this adds to spring being a good time to have everything in your brake system looked at, including pads, discs, lines, fluid, related electrical components, and sensors. 

Replace the Cabin Filter 

The cabin filter is an easy thing to forget. It’s hidden and doesn’t call attention to itself when it’s past its due date. But with spring being prime allergy season, a clean cabin filter will be quite appreciated. If you haven’t changed out your cabin filter in a while, an old, full cabin filter could cause more harm than good. Our service technicians know just where the filter is and how to inspect it.

Other Routine Inspections

A spring maintenance check at Fiat of Kirkland will include other inspections that are less seasonal. This includes checking headlight alignment, and sweeping leaves and other accumulated debris from the engine compartment and the vents, and the windshield base. They will also make sure any fluid drains haven’t become clogged, thus inviting standing water and rust. We reiterate that no one is more qualified in the area to perform all these tasks on your Fiat than Fiat of Kirkland. Consider making an appointment today to get your fun little car in top shape for the summer ahead.