Todd: I’m Todd.
Thad: I’m Thad.
Todd: We’re the Watters Boys.
Thad: Spring is in the air!
Todd: In the air in Hawaii.
Thad: Here, it’s still cold and miserable.
Todd: But that beats bone-numbing and uninhabitable.
Thad: And that miniscule improvement can only mean one thing…
Both: Spring is almost here!
Todd: So it’s time to get your car in Spring-shape.
Spring car cleaning means a bit more than this
Thad: Here are five good tips we’ve put together.
Todd: That will guarantee your vehicle makes a smooth transition from bleak arctic tundra to Wizard Of Oz in color.
Thad: Can I be the scarecrow?
Todd: Yeah, cause you’re already scarin me.
1. Remove road salt from underneath the vehicle.
Thad: People have no idea how bad this stuff really is.
Todd: You can go through a regular car wash and press the “clean the undercarriage” option, but even that won’t really remove the built-up gunk.
Thad: Remember, you’ve been driving through thousands of slushy pot holes.
Todd: And gunk-filled pot holes.
Thad: And pot holes with pot holes.
Todd: We recommend you take it to a mechanic or professional detailer and really have it cleaned.
Thad: Everyone in Iowa should have this done – it’ll help prolong the life of your car.
2. Check the tires.
Todd: Believe it or not, tire pressure changes up to a pound per square inch for every 10 degrees in temperature change outdoors.
Thad: And that’s assuming my brother isn’t riding in the car with four of his larger friends, eating buckets of fried chicken.
Todd: Talk about deflating the tires.
Thad: That’s why the tire pressure sensors in newer cars tend to go off in cold weather.
Todd: Underinflation allows your tires to wear unevenly on the sides.
Thad: Plus your gas mileage will suffer.
Todd: So check the pressure when it’s cold, then fill it accordingly.
Thad: And if my brother and his posse are ridin, give it a few extra shots of air.
Todd: There is also a product called Nitrogen tire fill , which will help keep your tire pressure normal during cold weather which will also help your gas mileage.
Thad: It’s available at Watters Autoland for $20.
Todd: About the amount my brother spends daily on peanut M and M’s out of our little snack machine.
Thad: One quarter at a time, baby. One quarter at a time.
3. Change your wiper blades.
Todd: How much abuse have your wipers taken this winter?
Thad: They’ve been ensconsed in ice…
Todd: There’s your thesaurus!
Thad: Battered by snow, sleet and wind…
Todd: I think I saw my wipers on-line, looking for cheap air fare to Florida.
Thad: Wiper blades are designed to last about a year, and this year’s been particularly brutal.
Todd: So get them changed as soon as possible, for safety’s sake.
Thad: Plus I can’t stand the sound of bare metal scraping a windshield.
Todd: I wish I could make that sound with my mouth, just to see you squirm.
Thad: You make me squirm without trying.
4. Change the spark plugs, oil and coolant.
Todd: Just like your wiper blades, your engine’s spark plugs also take a beating.
Thad: Ole’ Sparky can fire as many as 300,000 times in just 100 miles.
Your engine needs a Spring cleaning, too
Todd: So get them changed – along with your oil, oil filter, air filter, coolant and wiper blades – as part of an overall vehicle spring cleaning.
Thad: One of the worst things you can do to your engine is just keep driving it into Spring like everything’s cool beans.
Todd: This winter has been tough on just about every part of your vehicle, especially the engine.
Thad: So, like our grandma used to say, blow the stink off of it.
Todd: Did literally blowing the stink off of anything, ever work?
Thad: I don’t know – as hard as I blow in your direction, I can still smell your cologne – so I guess not.
Todd: Please keep blowing until you feel light-headed…then really blow hard.
Thad: Get your oil and filter changed, flush your coolant, get a tune-up and check your battery connection – trust us, your car needs it.
5. Completely clean the interior
Todd: As we’ve talked about in previous “Talkin Cars” posts, keeping the inside of your car clean means a higher trade-in value when it’s time.
Thad: So don’t settle for running a car wash vacuum across your floor mats.
Detailing the interior will add to your car's value
Todd: Take it to a professional detailer and really have the inside and outside thoroughly cleaned.
Thad: This small investment will reap rewards when you sell it or trade it in.
Todd: Plus it’s so much more fun to ride in a car that doesn’t smell like old french fries.
Thad: Although I do love the smell of new french fries.
Todd: Can you get that in a dangling air freshener?
Here’s a great offer!
Thad: We talked earlier about getting your oil changed.
Todd: And now we’d like to help you with that part of your Spring car cleaning.
Thad: Just sign up for our “Talkin Cars” blog via email, and we’ll email you a coupon good for an $18.99 oil change at Watters Autoland in Indianola.
Todd: That’s a savings of 50%!
Thad: Plus you’ll be taking a great first step into spring, with a happy car.
Todd: Don’t forget the fries.
Thad: Mmmmmmm.
Todd and Thad Watters own and manage Watters Autoland in Indianola, Iowa. Visit them at www.wattersautoland.com
