Spring cleaning should not just be limited to your house or apartment.

Interior Maintenance Tips | DIY Detailing

Your automobile should also receive an annual freshening, not just to look good, but to also help prepare it for the hot summer months.

Checking your car out yourself or taking it to a professional can go a long way in helping you avoid a breakdown on those 100-degree days that are just around the corner.

Engine Care

Winter is especially tough on a car, but the extreme heat can wreak just as much havoc on an engine.

Engine coolant is particularly important to help keep your car from overheating in hot weather. The levels should be checked and you should make sure there is the proper 50/50 mix of coolant and water.

"You're going to end up with an air pocket if you don't make sure (the coolant) is topped off," said Mark Larsen, a franchise training manager with Car X car care center. "If you end up with air in the coolant the impeller ends up cavitating and basically trying to pump air, which it can't, and it will overheat. Also, coolant that mixes with air breaks down quicker."

Flushing out the coolant in your system is a good idea to do at least once every other year if you have an older model. Newer models tend to recommend a flush every five years or 100,000 miles.

An oil change is also important. The oil should be changed every three months or 3,000 miles, but your vehicle's manufacturer might recommend a changeover to motor oil with a higher viscosity for the summer if it is an older model. Newer models tend to take the same type of oil year round.

Check the owner's manual to find out what type of oil is recommended for your car in which season.

"If you've got a thin oil in the winter, the oil pumps up a little easier and the engine is going to be a little tighter," said Larsen. "In the summer, the engine's going to be a little looser and run a little warmer, so having a little heavier oil in seems to help with that problem."

Air Flow

Air conditioning can be the difference between summer fun on the road or an exhausting, uncomfortable road trip. Having a technician check out your air conditioning system is a good idea.

"You need to make sure all the road salt isn't eating at your condenser and that you don't have bent fins on the condenser, or bugs, or any type of debris caught up in there," said Larsen. "You want to make sure you've got the air dams still in there and that they didn't break over the winter."

High temperatures can shorten the lifespan of a battery, so make sure to have the battery tested.

Check the air filter and replace it if it is dirty. It will help make the engine more fuel efficient.

Also, before a long road trip in hot weather, always check the fluid levels before departure.

Exterior Care

Giving your car a good, thorough cleaning and waxing will help preserve the body paint and make you look just that much better while cruising around, especially if you live in an area that experiences a lot of snow in the winter.

If you wash the car yourself, give the undercarriage and behind the fenders a good hose down. Most people don't think to clean the undercarriage of a car, but that is where a lot of salt and sand can accumulate from the long winter months and cause rust.

"Most of the newer car washes blow the stuff out from underneath, which would get rid of all that road salt," said Larsen. "If you don't, it will rot out your exhaust, rot out your suspension and everything else underneath."

Fluctuations in temperature can cause tires to lose air. Check the tire pressure on all four tires and your spare and inspect them for wear and tear.

"A big thing is to check the air in the tires," said Larsen. "In the winter, they're going to get colder and have lost air pressure, and now that it's warm out they're going to gain air pressure, so you need to adjust them for the season."

Interior

After the long winter, giving the inside of the car a good spring cleaning can make summer driving that much more pleasant.

"You've been riding around all winter and accumulated all that salt and dirt and stuff, it might be a good time to get it out and freshen up the car," said Larsen.

Wipe down the dash board, doors and gearshift with an all-purpose cleaner using a clean rag or towel. Give the whole car a good vacuuming and wipe down the windows.

Remove the floor mats and give them a good shaking to get rid of all the sand and pebbles that have accumulated over the winter. If you live in a place that gets lots of snow, rubber mats are a good idea because they will collect mud, sand and salt and can be cleaned easily by hosing them down and letting them dry.