Summer Maintenance Tips For Your Car
- Check The Tires – Air expands as the temperature rises. approximately one to two PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10-degree increase in outside air temperature. Check the wear patterns and the pressure!
- Change Oil and Oil Filter — If you’re doing a lot of heavy driving during the summer, make sure to complete this step. To check your oil, let your car run for a few minutes, then park it on a level surface and shut off the engine. Open the hood and locate the oil dipstick. You’re looking for two things here: the level of oil and how the oil looks [source: CBS News]. If you’re low on oil, you can either add another quart or simply change the oil completely. The oil should look brownish yellow and clean on the stick. If the oil is a dark color or there’s a lot of dirt and grime in it, then you definitely need an oil change and oil filter replacement.
- De-Winterize Your Car — Check the fluid levels! Coolant, Transmission, Differential, Power Steering & Brake Fluid shouldn’t have any leaks. If you haven’t used your battery in a while, you might need a replacement. It’s also very important to clean the undercarriage of the car after a long winter! You can clean it using water or a high-pressure cleaning system.
- Check Hoses and Belts — The Key to summer driving is to keep the engine cool. Check all the hoses and belts connected to the rad help pump coolant to and from the engine block. Hoses should be firm, never soft or malleable. Belts should be visually checked for cracks and damage. Take note of belts that appear slick or smooth. Remove the belt to make sure the layers haven’t begun separating.
- Check The Air Filter — Over the winter, your car’s air filter can get clogged with salt and other debris. Nothing lows fuel efficiency like a dirty and clogged air filter. Recommended change is every 12000 miles, but if you do a lot of dirty/dusty driving, you’ll have to do it more often than that. Air filters are relatively cheap…
- Replace the Windshield Wipers – It rains in the summer, eh?
- Check Your Breaks — Brakes are the most important safety feature in your car. Don’t put yourself at risk. The brakes need to be replaced when the lining on the pad or shoe is worn down to minimum thickness specified by the manufacturer. If your pedal becomes soft and mushy, or hard and resistant, sits too high or too low, you should get ‘em checked. Any warning lights or the painful scraping and grinding or the click-clack the manufacturer builds in means it’s time to get ‘em checked.
- Check the Coolant and Radiator – Car’s engine is most efficient at 200 degrees F. Summer driving can raise the heat in a hurry, especially if you’re idling. Check your coolant levels and rad!
- Clean your Battery – The best way to keep your battery running smoothly is to keep it clean. Regularly detach the battery cables and wipe off the terminals. Make sure the battery is strapped down tightly and that all connections are secure.
- Maintain Air Conditioning – If your car was built before 1994, then you need to have your refrigerant checked out by a licensed professional who knows how to dispose of or recycle the material. In some states, it’s illegal to refill a leaky system with R-12. However, even older cars can be easily retrofitted to use the newer, safer type of refrigerant called R-134a.
