Ah, spring — when change and rain is in the air. If you live in a state where it’s colder in the winter, you may be dying to get your car on the track or drive through the coast with the top down. But first, you should prepare your car for spring, which means making sure it’s safe and clean.

Here are some of the best ways you can get your car ready for spring, according to AAA and other reputable resources. As someone who lived in New England for decades, I know a thing or two about the transition from winter to spring, so I’ve included the most useful tips.

Get Your Tires and Wheels Inspected

Tire service providers will claim you need to align your wheels every year or every other oil change. The best time for that is when spring begins.

When getting your tires checked, have experts check the tread to ensure you have traction for incoming rainy days. Wet roads can spell disaster if your tires are balding. You may also need a wheel alignment, since winter’s cold and icy conditions can cause potholes to form — and too many bumps can mess with the alignment. You may also have been using winter tires. This is a good time to replace them with all-season or summer tires.

Check Your Windshield Wipers

After dealing with winter’s ice and snow, your windshield wipers may be losing their touch. This is something you definitely want to check ahead of spring, since plenty of rain is likely coming your way. A new pair of windshield wipers will improve your visibility. Considering rain is one of the biggest culprits of car accidents, you’ll need all the help you can get.

Don’t think you’re safe if you live in a dry state like California. In fact, Serious Accidents reports that these states are more likely to get in accidents once rain hits since drivers are not prepared.

Check Your A/C

As the sky gets sunnier and the weather gets warmer, you don’t want to be in an uncomfortably hot car while commuting to work. Now is a good time to turn on your air conditioning to see how well it’s keeping your car cool and comfortable.

If it’s not reaching a cold enough temperature, you may need to top off your refrigerant. If that doesn’t do the trick, AutoZone claims it could be a leak or an issue with the AC compressor.

Get New Air Filters

It’s finally spring, and you want to feel the breezy, crisp, clean air as you drive. But that’s going to prove difficult if you have nasty old cabin filters. As the name suggests, cabin filters are meant to keep your cabin free of dust, dirt, and other contaminants.

While we’re on the subject of filters, you should also change the engine’s air filter. Dirty air filters full of contaminants can negatively impact your gas mileage, according to AARP. Dust, grime, and crud can stop air from getting into the combustion chamber, reducing gas mileage by a whole 10%.

Check Your Battery

While you’re doing all your spring cleaning, take a look at your car’s battery. Heat can negatively impact battery life, according to AARP, so it’s best to ensure everything looks good ahead of the coming months.

Clean your battery terminals and make sure the battery is secured in place. You can also have a mechanic test your battery load to see if it’s working optimally. This will help you avoid any sudden battery issues, which would be a bummer when the weather is nice, but you’re left stranded.

Wash Your Car

This might seem a bit redundant, seeing as spring is full of rain, but washing your car is about more than getting off some dust. The snow, ice, and salt left from winter can potentially damage it, causing corrosion and other nasty issues.

You may also want to vacuum the inside of your car and add an air freshener — this isn’t for your car’s health, but more to give you a nice boost, like a spring cleaning. You can easily clean and detail your car using products found in Walmart.

Top Off Car Fluids

AAA states that one of the most common mistakes drivers make is ignoring vehicle fluids. Spring is the perfect time to check all of your vehicle’s fluids. One of the most important things to check is the engine oil — clean oil extends your car’s life and keeps the engine running smoothly and efficiently.

Other fluids to check include coolant, power-steering fluid, transmission oil, and brake fluid. This is especially important if you plan to take your car to the track or go on a long road trip now that the weather is nice, and the roads are clear. Want to do it yourself? We have some hacks that can help.

Look For Signs of Rodents

It might sound strange, but this is actually a pretty big one. During colder months, rodents may attempt to escape the nasty weather by warming up in your car. This can result in them chewing through wires and causing damage under the hood. I’ve also had friends in New England who ended up with dead rodent smells in their car, which is very unpleasant.

If you see signs of rodents, including damaged wires and droppings, you may want to check with an exterminator or local garage to have it dealt with safely.

Check the Undercarriage

To deal with icy roads, colder states will often use salt to make the ice melt faster and provide more traction for commuters. While helpful, this salt can build up on the underside of your car.

You can deal with this yourself if you have a high-pressure washer, but if you haven’t cleaned underneath all winter, you should also bring your vehicle into a shop to have them check for any damage. Rust is a common issue when too much salt builds up over time.

Check Your Brakes

According to AAA, cars that sit around for months at a time can develop brake issues. This is a common occurrence during winter, when people opt to keep their cars indoors. Well, unless you’re one of those crazy billionaires drifting classic cars on ice. But most of us can’t afford to have our cars sink into the icy depths.

Check the rotors, calipers, and brake pads before you take your car on any long trips. These can become an issue as your car sits around waiting for the roads to clear up.

Do Something Fun

You’ve been waiting for months to drive your car again — why not celebrate? This can be something small like getting a bumper sticker or license plate frame. Or maybe you can get some suspension and brake upgrades for your car and take it to the track.

It’s your pride and joy, so have some fun with it. Whatever you do, make sure there are no rats in your car first, and check the tires and fluids!