As the snow starts to melt and the grass starts to grow, many people may want to consider what another Iowa winter has done to their car.

With spring rapidly approaching, people can take advice from the professionals and get their automobile a well-deserved tune-up, or simply get the sand, salt and other grime out from underneath the crevasses of their automobiles.

Steve Decker, owner of Precision Auto in Ames, said people should get a tune-up and an oil change, especially if the car has been sitting out in the cold weather for a long time.

Tom Thomas, a partner of Car Tech of Ames, said, “When you go back to fire your car up, make sure to check that something like fluids have not leaked out, or a tire gone flat.”

Students should be aware of flat tires if they are driving long distances for spring break.

Thomas also said driving around town with a partially flat tire can lead to total destruction of the tire.

“Preparing for spring weather is nowhere near as crucial as preparing a car for winter weather in the fall,” Decker said.

Preparing vehicles for the winter season entails much more work, including putting on snow tires and checking the radiator and heater, Decker said.

In the spring, people should be checking their radiators and looking at their water pumps for problems in the cooling systems, he said.

Decker said the cooling system and water pump often go bad after people have been driving throughout the summer.

Drivers should start preparing their cars for warmer conditions around March or April, Decker said.

Both Decker and Thomas said other problems with vehicles may arise if drivers let their vehicles sit in one place for a long period of time.

Often, little animals start to find homes inside various automobile parts.

“Mice are particularly bad, but I have seen an occasional squirrel or bird nest hiding around,” Thomas said.

“Good maintenance of your car is the best advantage of protecting your car from future break-downs,” Decker said.