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Don't let your car sweat!
Without an effective cooling system, your car can quite literally boil over. This often-underestimated system plays a crucial role in maintaining the longevity and efficiency of your vehicle.
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Essential Spring Maintenance for Your Car in Coffs Harbour
With spring on the horizon in Coffs Harbour, now is the perfect time to take steps to keep your car in top shape. As temperatures begin to climb, and with Christmas and holiday driving coming up fast, nothing beats being proactive when it comes to vehicle care. Regular servicing isn’t just about preventing breakdowns — it’s about comfort, safety, fuel efficiency and ensuring your car performs when you need it most.
Why Spring Matters for Your Car
Spring brings warmer skies, clearer roads and more opportunities to drive — but also higher ambient temperatures, stronger sun, and sometimes heavy humidity. These changes place extra stress on several key systems of your car, particularly your air conditioning, cooling system, and cabin filters.
If these areas are neglected, you may find yourself uncomfortable on long trips, dealing with cloudy windscreens, or worse — stuck by the side of the road.
Air Conditioning: More Than Just Comfort
A fully functional air conditioning (AC) system is essential in spring and through summer. It helps keep the cabin cool, but also plays a vital role in safety:
- A working AC helps defog and demist your windscreen more quickly, improving visibility.
- It keeps humidity and moisture under control inside the car, which reduces the chance of mould, bad odours and corrosion.
- Under-use during cooler months can allow hoses, seals or components in the AC system to dry out, crack or leak refrigerant. Regular use and servicing helps prevent that.
During a car service, technicians will check belts, hoses, seals, the compressor, refrigerant levels, and ensure the system is operating efficiently. In Coffs Harbour, where summer days can rapidly become hot, putting this off means risking discomfort or even breakdowns during holiday trips.
Cabin Filters: Cleaner Air & Health Benefits
The cabin air filter (sometimes called the “pollen filter”) works quietly but does a lot. It filters out dust, pollen, pollutants and airborne particles before they get into your car’s cabin. Spring tends to bring airborne allergens, pollens, more dust from dry roads, and debris stirred up by wind or storms. A clogged or dirty cabin filter can lead to:
- Reduced airflow, making your AC or heater work harder
- Unpleasant odours and musty smells inside the car
- Worse visibility due to poor demisting
- Strain on the HVAC system, possibly increasing fuel consumption
Replacing or cleaning the cabin filter during your spring service ensures cleaner air, better comfort, and less stress on other parts of the system.
Cooling Systems: Preventing Overheating & Breakdowns
The cooling system (radiator, coolant, thermostat, hoses, fans etc.) is the heart of keeping your engine from overheating, especially when the weather warms up or during heavy use like towing or holiday travel. Here’s what can go wrong if cooling system maintenance is neglected:
- Coolant that is old, degraded or contaminated won’t manage heat effectively.
- Radiator fins can block up with dirt, insects or road grime.
- Hoses and clamps can deteriorate — leading to leaks.
- Thermostat failure may mean the engine runs hotter than it should.
In Australia, cooling system failures are among the top three causes of roadside breakdowns. Ensuring your radiator and cooling system are checked, coolant is flushed or topped up, and everything is sealed and functioning can save you from very costly repairs later, especially when driving far or in high heat. (Note: BOM forecasts indicate average daytime temperatures rise significantly through spring in this region.)
Planning Ahead for Christmas & Holiday Travel
Christmas is only a relatively short time away, and many service centres see a surge in bookings as the holidays approach. Waiting until the last minute means limited appointment availability, longer wait times, and possibly rushed work. Spring gives you enough lead time to plan, book early, and avoid the traditional Christmas rush.
If you are considering holiday driving — whether visiting family, road-trips, or heading inland or up the coast — the last thing you want is an AC failure on a hot day, or an engine that overheats halfway through your journey.
What You Can Do Now
To make the most of your spring service and prepare for the Christmas season, consider doing the following:
- Book a full AC service (including inspection, refrigerant check, belt and hose inspection).
- Have the cabin filter inspected and replaced if needed.
- Schedule a cooling system evaluation: radiator, fluid condition, hoses, clamps, thermostat.
- Ask your mechanic to check related parts: belts, seals, fan operation.
- Keep an eye on weather forecasts via BOM to anticipate hot days and plan usage accordingly.
Regular car servicing in spring isn’t just a seasonal luxury — it’s smart planning. By paying attention to your car’s air conditioning, cabin filters and cooling system, you’ll enjoy greater comfort, safety and reliability. With Christmas and holiday travel approaching, there’s no better time to make sure your car is ready.
Book ahead with Mills-Thom's Mechanical Repairs in Coffs Harbour, give yourself peace of mind, and avoid the stress of the last-minute service scramble…
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