Step 4:
Check list

Step 4:

Better safe than sorry!

During winter, many components take a punishing from the cold and dirt. That’s why, a professional spring check-up also always involves checking certain parts of a car.

Taking a look at the headlights, the ventilation, the wipers or below the engine bonnet always pays off. Those are the places where every car’s most vital elements hide. They need regular checking and cleaning or the replacement of individual components.

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Gaskets

What you need:

  • Rubber care product
  • Dust-free, clean cotton cloth or sponge

To prevent gaskets from becoming porous over time, check and clean them regularly.

Simply apply a rubber care product using a sponge or a clean cloth directly on the gaskets and spread it evenly.

Before applying the care product on the gaskets, remove all moisture and dirt from the rubber gaskets. If the care product mixes with residual moisture it can lead to a reduced effect.

Wipers

What you need:

  • All-purpose cleaner
  • Paper towel

Lift the wipers for cleaning. Spray the all-purpose cleaner on a kitchen towel and swipe it up and down the rubber lip until no new, black welts remain on the towel.

A severely damaged wiper must be replaced with a new one.

Broken wipers are noted quickly due to the decline in quality. In the worst case, they leave scratches on the windscreen. These scratches result in poor visibility and damage the windscreen over time.

Oil

What you need:

  • Paper towel or cloth

To measure the oil level, fully remove the oil dipstick with the ring on the upper end and clean it with a cloth or paper towel. Then, re-insert the stick.
Measure the oil level by re-pulling the stick: the level must exceed the lower mark; else, oil must be refilled.

Check the oil level after the engine has cooled down for roughly an hour. Furthermore, the car must stand on a level surface (not downhill or uphill). Only this ensures the correct measuring of the oil level.

Coolant

With the engine shut off, the coolant must level out between the minimum and maximum mark.

SCALDING RISK!!! The reservoir must never be opened if the engine and hence the coolant is still hot. By opening the heated reservoir, excess heat may escape upwards abruptly.

Ventilation

What you need:

  • Screwdriver
  • New air filter

Ventilation blockage leads to an increased consumption of power and fuel.

Especially during winter, grease and dirt like to settle in this area. That’s why, the air filter must be cleaned or replaced.

To replace the air filter, you must open the engine bonnet. Lever the retaining clips upwards using a screwdriver. Take off the lid and exchange the old filter with a new one.

For fresh air in the car, also clean or replace the pollen filters. These should also be removed in the engine, then tap and re-install them.

Wiper fluid

What you need:

  • Wiper fluid
  • Antifreeze

The wiper fluid level, if not reported by the board computer, must be checked regularly and, if necessary, refilled.


Instead of pure water, always mix with wiper fluid, or you may even use readily mixed wiper fluid. Only this way, you ensure the successful removal of tough insect residues and best road visibility.

Even when winter is over, temperatures can still drop below freezing. Therefore, we recommend mixing wiper fluid with antifreeze even during the beginning of spring.

Battery

What you need:

  • Multimeter

A trick to test the battery: Park the car in front of a wall in the dark and switch on the dipped beam. If the light becomes significantly darker after a short time, the battery is weak. This means that the battery’s charging capacity is not sufficient.

The state of charge can be checked in detail by using a multimeter. However, carry out this test only if the car has been idle for a few hours.

Connect the red cable with the positive pole and the black cable with the negative pole of the car battery. Then, read the voltage on the device.
At a good state of charge the voltage is between 12.4 and 12.7 volts.

If uncertain, we suggest visiting a body shop to assess whether the battery is still functional.

Lights

The following lights must be checked for performance:

  • Headlights (dipped beam, full beam, parking light)
  • Brake lights
  • Indicators front, rear and hazard lights
  • Rear light
  • Fog lamps/rear fog-lamps

To check the performance of the lights without a second person’s help, park the car in front of a reflective surface (e.g. shop window).

If the lights show a change of brightness over time, the battery must be re-checked.


If a bulb stops to work, it must be replaced. The right type designation is indicated in the manual. 


All front lights are replaced through the engine space, and the rear lights through the boot. Each light has a cover on the back side through which the lighting can be replaced. Note: modern cars require replacements to be carried out at a body shop.

Never touch lights with your bare hands. Even the smallest greasy film can shorten the life of a light many times over.

Alcar

Life Hack:

Oil may be refilled without using a funnel.

What you need:

  • big screwdriver
  • old cloth

Hold the tip of the screwdriver into the opening and let the oil slowly pour into the container along the screwdriver. Afterwards, you can wipe the screwdriver with an old cloth.

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