Spring Maintenance Inspection under the Hood of Car or Truck

Springtime is here again and its time for that maintenance inspection under the hood of your car or truck to be performed. A car engine is something anyone can do a quick inspection to see what the winter months have created for him or her to fix now that it is spring. If you are not too familiar with what to look for then that is why I am here to help you. I have over 25 years experience as an ASE certified automotive technician and I enjoy helping people with their cars or trucks. Here are a few of the major maintenance items to check under the hood of your car or truck.

Four Key Inspection Items Under The Hood:


1. Upper and Lower Radiator Hoses: Inspect the 2 hoses for any bulging, leaking of antifreeze, loose hose clamps, or any irregular wear from rubbing against something.

2. Serpentine Belt or V-Belts: Inspect your belts for excessive cracking or looseness. With the car engine off reach down and check the tension of these automotive belts. They should be very snug and tight with not much side-to-side motion.

3. Check all Fluid Levels: Of course, this means checking your oil level, transmission fluid, brake fluid level, antifreeze overflow tank level, and your power steering fluid level. Take note of how contaminated these fluids maybe and decide if its time to flush them all out with new fluids.

4. Under the Hood Engine Leaks: Check for any kind of leaks that was not there during your Fall Inspection. Green or reddish would be antifreeze, Dark and sticky would be engine oil, Red and sticky would be transmission fluid, Watery and sticky would be brake fluid, Water drops would be your air conditioner moisture, which is normal to be dropping on the road.

I hope this Spring Time maintenance inspection under the hood of your car or truck will help you to be safe out there on the roads and maybe help you understand a little bit about cars. I did forget to mention you might want to wear some coveralls because you will get dirty performing this under the hood maintenance inspection for the spring. For more car care maintenance tips and “auto repair how to articles” please visit my blog at, “Auto Repair Savings And my Special Links.”

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