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6 Spring Auto Maintenance Tips in Timmins, ON

6 Spring Auto Maintenance Tips in Timmins, ON

With the winter season coming to a close, it’s time to think about getting your Toyota ready for the warmer months ahead. As such, our team of Toyota product experts here at James Toyota have come up with a handful of tips that should get your vehicle out of winter-mode and ready for warmer weather conditions. Continue reading below to learn about six vehicle maintenance tips that will help you get your Toyota ready for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

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Oil Change Service                 Coolant Flush Service

Brake Service         Wheel Alignment & Balance Service 

1. Swap Your Tires

The first thing you should consider is having your winter tires swapped out for your all-season or summer tires. This is because the rubber composition of winter tires differ from that of all-season and summer tires. Winter tires perform better in the cold, providing better grip and remaining soft even during the coldest of conditions. Once the weather starts to climb above 7º Celsius, however, the rubber on winter tires become softer than necessary, leading to excess wear and tear that can easily be remedied by having them taken off and replaced. By swapping your winter tires, you’re saving yourself from having to prematurely purchase another set of winter tires as a result of unnecessary wear and tear. Be a proactive driver and book your winter tire swap appointment at James Toyota before the tire change rush starts.

Swap Your Tires
Spring Auto Maintenance Tips in Timmins, ON

2. Rotate Your Tires

Now that you’ve decided that it’s in your best interest to swap your tires, it’s also a good idea to have your tires rotated as well. The purpose of rotating your tires is to ensure an even amount of tread wear amongst all four tires. This is because depending on the location that tires are mounted, they may experience more wear and tear than others. For example, on a front-wheel drive Toyota Corolla, all of the power from the engine gets sent to the front-wheels, meaning that the two front wheels receive more wear and tear than the two rear wheels. That’s why rotating your tires is a good idea as the wear and tear gets spread out everytime your wheels get dismounted and re-mounted. Getting your tires rotated on an all-wheel drive vehicle like a Toyota RAV4 or Highlander is also a good idea because even though power gets sent to all four wheels, these vehicles tend to have a bias of more power being sent to the front wheels during normal driving conditions.

3. Inspect Your Wheel Alignment

Since you’ve already considered having your vehicle’s tires swapped and rotated, might as well go one step further and inspect whether a wheel alignment service is necessary. As a result of several factors including driving over potholes, bumping into curbs and improper tire mounting, your vehicle may require a wheel alignment. This is done to prevent things like your steering wheel vibrating while driving, your vehicle pulling to one side and uneven tread wear on your tires. By using a specialized machine that alters your vehicle’s suspension through correcting the angle that your tires make contact with the road, a wheel alignment brings your vehicle’s suspension back to factory specifications. Interested in learning more about why regular wheel alignments services are necessary for your Toyota? Read more here.

Inspect Your Wheel Alignment

Oil & Filters

4. Change Your Oil & Filter

As an informed and responsible driver, it would have been in your best interest to change your vehicle’s engine oil and filter prior to the start of the winter season. This is to avoid any unforeseen headaches that come from neglecting to change your oil, especially during the cold winter months. Regardless of whether or not your vehicle had an oil and filter change service performed during the fall, it’s still in your best interest to have these services done now that the warmer months are around the corner. Fluctuating temperatures, cold starts and higher demand on your engine are just some factors that lead to your engine oil degrading at a faster rate during the winter months. Book your oil and filter change service right here at James Toyota and drive with the peace of mind knowing that our Toyota-trained technicians are looking out for the reliability and longevity of your vehicle.

5. Check Your Fluids

An often overlooked aspect of vehicle maintenance, automotive fluids are vital in ensuring that your car continues to run smoothly and reliably in the long term. Things like engine coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and even your windshield washer fluid should be regularly inspected to make sure that they are functioning properly. Since these vital liquids typically operate in the background, it’s understandable that they may sometimes be forgotten but as a discerning vehicle owner, it’s in your best interest to ensure that these fluid levels are inspected and serviced, if necessary. Interested in learning more about the coolant flushing service that we offer right here at James Toyota? Read more here.

Fluids

Batteries & Belts

6. Check Your Battery

Severe fluctuations in temperature, comfort features like a heated steering wheel and heated seats, as well as the added stress on your vehicle’s climate control system, are just some of the things that take a toll on your vehicle’s battery life. Similar to your smartphone or other battery-powered devices, prolonged exposure to cold weather can have negative effects on your Toyota’s battery. That’s why it’s imperative that you bring your Toyota home to a reputable service centre, like ours here at James Toyota, and have a knowledgeable technician inspect your vehicle’s battery.

Bring your Toyota home and have our service professionals here at James Toyota take care of your vehicle for you. Whether it’s time to swap your tires, change your engine oil, have your battery inspected or all of the above, our knowledgeable service technicians are well-equipped to get the job done. Schedule your next service appointment using the easy and intuitive form below.