Seasonal Car Maintenance Checklist

Your car lives outside (or in a mostly-outdoor garage) dealing with whatever weather happens. A little seasonal attention prevents a lot of "my car won't start on the coldest day of the year" moments.

Spring: Recovery Time

Winter beat up your car. Spring is for damage control.

Wash It. Seriously.

Road salt is eating your car right now. Get it washed—including underneath. Those touchless places usually have an undercarriage spray. Worth it. Any rust spots you find, address before they spread.

Check the Wipers

Winter destroys wiper blades. If they're streaking or chattering, replace them. April showers are coming.

Tires

• Running winter tires? Swap them off. They wear fast in warm weather and don't grip as well when it's hot.
• Check pressures. Temperature swings mess with them.
• Look at tread depth and wear patterns. Uneven wear = alignment or suspension issue.

Under the Hood

• Fluids: oil, coolant, brake fluid, washer fluid. Top off or change if due.
• Belts and hoses: cold weather can crack rubber. Look for cracks, fraying, soft spots.
• Battery: cold weather kills weak batteries. If yours is 3+ years old, get it tested.
• Cabin air filter: swap it before allergy season. Your sinuses will thank you.

Summer: Heat Is Hard

Hot pavement and road trips stress different systems.

Cooling System

This is where summer failures happen.

• Coolant level good? No rust or oil in it?
• Radiator: no leaks, fins not clogged with bugs?
• AC working? Find out now, not during the first heat wave.

Tires (Again)

• Check pressure when the tires are cold. Hot pavement + underinflated tires = blowouts. Ask me about the time I lost a tire on I-95 in August.
• Going on a road trip? Check the spare. Finding out it's flat when you need it is a special kind of frustrating.

Fluids

• Fresh oil handles heat better. If you're due for a change, do it before summer road trips.
• Top off washer fluid. Bug season demands it.

Summer Emergency Kit

Add water (for you AND potentially the radiator), sunscreen, phone charger. Getting stranded in summer heat is dangerous.

Fall: Prep for Darkness

Days get shorter, weather gets wetter, temperatures drop.

Lights

• Test all lights—headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals. Days are getting shorter.
• Headlights cloudy? They sell restoration kits or you can DIY with sandpaper and clear coat. Makes a huge difference in visibility.

Heating System

Test the heater and defroster now. First cold morning is not when you want to discover your blower motor is dead.

Battery

Cold starts demand full battery power. Test it now. Replace proactively if it's marginal—dying batteries don't give warning. They just die at the worst possible moment.

Wipers (Yes, Again)

Fresh blades for fall rain. Good visibility is safety.

Winter: Survival Mode

The hardest season on vehicles. Prepare early.

Tires

• Snow tires make a massive difference if you deal with real winter. All-seasons are a compromise. In serious snow, they're not great.
• Check pressure more often—cold weather drops it. Weekly checks aren't paranoid, they're smart.

Fluids

• Washer fluid: switch to winter-rated (-20°F or lower). Regular stuff freezes and you end up with a windshield full of salt you can't clean.
• Antifreeze: should protect to at least -34°F. Test it with a cheap hydrometer.
• If your manual suggests winter-weight oil for cold climates, this is when.

Battery

If you didn't test it in fall, do it now. Cold starts are brutal on weak batteries. Also: if your car has a block heater (common in seriously cold places), make sure it works. Plugging in below 0°F makes morning starts way easier.

Winter Emergency Kit

Blankets, warm clothes, boots (not flip flops), flashlight with fresh batteries, ice scraper, small shovel, kitty litter or sand for traction, jumper cables or jump starter, phone charger, snacks. Getting stranded in winter can be life-threatening.

Year-Round Basics

Some things don't care about seasons:

• Oil changes per your schedule
• Monthly tire pressure checks
• Annual brake inspection
• Pay attention to new noises or behaviors
• Don't ignore warning lights

The Payoff

15 minutes of seasonal attention prevents hours of roadside frustration. I learned this the hard way after a winter battery failure, a summer overheating incident, and various other "this could have been prevented" moments. Do the maintenance. Your future self will be grateful.