Spring is the right time to get your car ready for the active summer driving season ahead. It's sensible to have your vehicle tested before summer's intense vacation traffic and stop-and-go situation begin earnestly.

The experts at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence offer the tips below on getting your vehicle ready:

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

* Try to find a systematic repair facility with modern equipment in the service bays and skilled automotive technicians being workers, as shown by trade school qualifications, certificates of advanced course work and training, as well as national certification of the individual technicians by ASE.

* Wash out and replenish the cooling system (radiator) according to the service manual's recommendations. The level, state and concentration of the coolant should be checked regularly. Make sure the engine has cooled down before removing the radiator cap. Engine overheating is the most recurrent summer breakdown.

* Have engine performance conditions corrected, such as hard starts, tough idling and stalling. You'll get improved gasoline mileage, and you could put off more costly repairs.

* Don't neglect your transmission and brakes. Costly repairs can be prevented by regular service. Neglected brakes can give rise to safety issues, too.

* Look for a skilled auto technician to verify the condition of belts, clamps and hoses, but be proactive by looking for signs of wear, cracking or fraying.

* Have a marginally operating air conditioner system repaired by a technician qualified to handle refrigerants. Older units often contain ozone-depleting chemicals that could be released into the air because of improper or incompetent service.

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

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

* Inspect the condition of tires, including the spare. Let the tires "cool down" prior to checking their pressure. Uneven 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 vast difference when you're traveling at night. Hardly ever do you realize how weak your headlights are until you upgrade. Chances are the winter road grim has spoiled your lenses to the point where they really need to be replaced.