Summer Car Care Tips

Summer Car Care Tips

We are now in the middle of Summer and nothing will ruin family summer fun quicker than a blown tire, an overheating radiator, or windshield wipers that stop working!  Hot weather can be tough on your vehicle. Here are just a few tips Jeff Albanese, owner of Euro Cars Charlotte, recommends in order to get your car in tip top shape for summer:

Have a safety check done before any summer road trips to make sure car is going to get you to and from your destination safely.

Check the tire pressure. Tires should be rotated every 5,000 miles. Tire pressure should be checked when the tires are cold. An improperly inflated tire can heat excessively, potentially causing a blow-out on the interstate. Over or under inflated tires can also cause excessive wear. Also, examine your tires for tread life, uneven wearing, and cupping; check the sidewalls for cuts and nicks. Take it to a trusted mechanic for inspection.

Check your air conditioning. If you don’t want to lose half your body weight a day in sweat sitting at a red light, make sure your air conditioning system is working properly. Remember that a marginally working air conditioning system will fail in hot weather. Take your car to a trusted mechanic to have the air conditioning inspected.

Check coolant/antifreeze mixture. The ideal mixture of coolant and water inside your vehicle’s radiator is 50:50. If the mixture deviates from this norm, then hot weather performance can be compromised.

Have your fluids, hoses, and belts checked. Before heading out on the road this Summer, be sure to let a trusted mechanic examine the fluid reservoirs in your vehicle including engine oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, and wiper fluid. A failed belt can affect your car’s electrical system, air conditioning, cooling system, or power steering system. And while most of us couldn’t tell a good belt from a bad one, a trusted mechanic can tell at a glance whether or not one needs to be replaced.

Check your windshield wipers. It would be really scary to be driving down the interstate and run into one of our summer storms just to realize your windshield wipers don’t work. The life expectancy of a wiper blade is one year. If your car’s blades are dried out and not making full contact with the windshield, replace them. Make sure you check your entire wipe/washer systems.

In Case of Emergency. It doesn’t matter what month it is, you should always be carrying an Emergency Kit in your car. Minimally, your Emergency Kit should include: A flashlight, a first-aid kit, jumper cables, paper towels, and extra water.

Check Your Oil. Keep engine oil clean and change at every 3000 – 4000 miles for regular oil and 7000 for synthetic oil. Make sure oil is at proper levels.

These are only a few tips on getting your car ready for summer and is not meant to diagnose or treat any car problems. If you suspect something is wrong with your car or it just needs a Summer Ready Check, take it to a trusted mechanic.

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