Tips for Keeping Your Kia in Top Condition Year-Round

Without regular maintenance, both the scorching heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter can take a real toll on a car. With a few good weather protection habits, you can keep your car looking beautiful and functioning properly for longer. Here are six terrific car care tips to keep your car well-protected all year round. 

6 Car Care Tips for Keeping Your Kia in Great Condition Year-Round

Check Your Tire Pressure Often

Tires should always be kept at the recommended pressure. During summer, excessive heat can expand tires, putting them at risk of over-inflation. The cold of winter has the opposite effect, reducing air pressure and putting your tires at risk of under-inflation.

Either under or overinflated tires can lead to blowouts and skids on the road. To avoid these risks, check your tire pressure at least once a month, if not more frequently, all year round. 

Change Your Motor Oil Regularly

Motor oil needs to be changed at least every six months to avoid overheating the engine. Having fresh, high-quality oil is essential during winter, when the cold causes the oil to move and lubricate the engine more slowly, putting both your oil and engine under greater pressure.

Watch Where You Park

Always pay attention to where you park your car. During summer, direct sunlight can cause your dashboard and upholstery to gradually dry out and crack. Constant exposure to UV light can also dry out the moisture in tire rubber and cause the clear coat over car paint to deteriorate. Parking in the shade will help save your car from sun damage, although be wary of parking under trees: tree sap and bird droppings can also damage car paint.

During winter, parking in the shade puts your car at risk of damage from falling snow and ice. When the temperature plummets, keeping your car in a garage or at least protected by an insulated car cover is best. If you don’t, the cold can damage your car’s battery, windshield wipers, fuel lines, LCD screens, and more. Snow, rain, hail, and strong winds can also damage the bodywork of an unprotected car. 

Keep Your Car’s Bodywork Clean

Try to keep your car sparkling clean at any time of year. It’s important to keep your car clean of dust and dirt during summer, which can cause tiny scratches over time. During winter, keeping your car clean of the salty slush from the roads is even more important, which can rapidly corrode any exposed area of your car’s bodywork, wheel wells, or undercarriage. 

Wax Well for All Weather Protection 

Wax is one of a car’s greatest protections against all kinds of harmful contaminants, including snow, ice, salt, bird droppings, tree sap, dirt, dust, and stones. If you wax well and wax often, you’ll keep it shiny and beautiful-looking for far longer. You’ll retain its resale value for longer, too. 

Never Miss a Regular Maintenance Servicing Visit

Above all, always keep the various components of your car in tip-top condition with regular servicing visits to your local dealership. Whatever the weather conditions, periodic servicing is the best way to keep your car safe from malfunctions on the road. 

Have your car serviced by experienced professionals today at DARCARS Kia of Temple Hills. We’re a trusted local full-service dealership with highly qualified technicians working in our onsite certified Kia service and repair center. 

Tags: Change Your Motor Oil Regularly, Check Your Tire Pressure Often, Keep Your Car's Bodywork Clean, Never Miss a Regular Maintenance Servicing Visit, Watch Where You Park, Wax Well for All Weather Protection
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