Preparing your car for spring

It might not look much like spring out there, but eventually the sun will shine and the flowers will bloom. So before that happens, get your car prepared for brighter weather.

At any time of year you must check all of your lights are working, and that your tyres have enough tread, aren't damaged, and have the right pressures.

Now is a good time to treat your car to a spring clean. Salt is a corrosive and will cause rusting if left on the bodywork. If possible take your car to a car wash that specialises in under-car cleaning to get rid of every trace.

The UK pollen season is coming and can be a miserable time for hayfever sufferers. Replacing your car's pollen filter annually is a vital investment, and keeping your air-con well-maintained will help.

Flies make a sticky mess on the front of your car, and can leave the windscreen smeary and difficult to see through. Make sure your washer fluid is always topped up, and give the windscreen and headlamps a wash when you stop for fuel.

Old wiper blades not only sound annoying, they can scratch the windscreen, so replace them regularly

Cleaning off 'debris' – bugs, sap, bird poo

Make sure your washer fluid is always topped up, and give the windscreen and headlamps a wash when you stop for fuel.Clean it off regularly rather than letting it build up.

Modern car paint is more environmentally friendly, but it is easily damaged by bird droppings, particularly in warm weather, so clean them off as quickly as possible.  Try not to park under roosting points such as telephone wires & poles or trees.

Sap from trees is a problem in the spring.  It is hard to remove once hardened, so a wash as soon as possible is advisable.  Using hot water and a sponge will help dissolve the sap. 

If the sap has hardened, the paint will feel rough to the touch.  Use a colour restorer (e.g. T-Cut) and a lot of elbow grease or an electric polisher.

Lots of car cleaning pads and sprays are available for a few pounds and these make bug removal very easy. But make certain the pad specifies that it is suitable for car paint – most household cleaning pads will ruin car paintwork.

And when you're on the move don't sit with the engine off, but the air con running. You risk flattening the battery