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Spring is the perfect time to get your vehicle ready for the active summer driving season ahead. It's advisable to have your vehicle tested before summer's heavy vacation traffic and stop-and-go conditions begin earnestly.

The professionals at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence suggest the guidelines below on getting your vehicle ready:

* Read the owner's guide and keep up to the suggested service schedules. Pay attention to "regular" vs. "severe" schedules planned, and find out which is right for your driving conditions and practice.

* Look for a systematic repair facility with recent equipment in the service bays and certified automotive technicians being workers, as evidenced by trade school diplomas, credentials of advanced course work and training, plus national certification of the individual technicians by ASE.

* Wash out and refill the cooling system (radiator) as stated in the service manual's recommendations. The level, state and strength of the coolant should be checked at regular intervals. Make sure the engine has cooled down before removing the radiator cap. Engine overheating is the most recurrent summer breakdown.

* Have engine performance conditions rectified, such as hard starts, harsh idling and stalling. You'll get better gasoline mileage, and you could avert more costly repairs.

* Don't overlook your transmission and brakes. Expensive repairs can be prevented by regular service. Neglected brakes can cause safety issues, too.

* Find out an experienced auto technician to check the condition of belts, clamps and hoses, but be preventive by looking for signs of deterioration.

* Have a marginally running air conditioner system checked by a technician qualified to handle refrigerants. Older units often contain ozone-depleting substances that could be emitted into the air due to inappropriate or incompetent service.

* Change the oil and oil filter as indicated in the owner's manual. This straightforward, inexpensive service can boost the life of your vehicle.

* Change other filters (air, fuel, PCV) as recommended in the service manual.

* Inspect the condition of tires, including the spare. Let the tires "cool down" prior to checking their pressure. Bumpy wear, "cupping", vibrations or "pulling" to one side implies problems with your tires or suspension system.

* Change your headlights with some good quality aftermarket headlights. Good custom headlights or even just a nice new series of H11 bulbs for your normal lights will make a huge difference when you're traveling at night. Hardly ever do you realize how weak your headlights are until you upgrade. It is likely that the winter road grim has damaged your lenses to the point where they really need to be replaced.

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