Everyone who lives in northern climates dreads the winter. They get their cars ready for the snow and the slush, making sure the tire treads are good and the oil has been changed. The same people start to relax when the summer months start creeping up. After all, there’s no snow on the ground and everything is nice and sunny. What is there to worry about? Actually there’s quite a bit of cause for concern. Summer can be just as brutal on your car as January.
The weather is pleasant, but the road temperature might not be. Overheated tar and black top can increase temperatures and your tires problems. The tire rubber can overheat and seeing automobile tires explode because of excessive heat will happen. Tires that have little bubbles along the sidewalls, are signs of potential hazard. The tires have to be at the right air pressure and underinflated tires will make driving very difficult.
You should worry about cold the same way you read about antifreeze a few months ago. It keeps the engine from overheating and can be a real car saver in stop and go traffic that sometimes happens during summer vacations. The automatic transmission fluid is also important during the summer. The amount of transmission fluid in the car should be almost like Goldilocks’ porridge: not too high, not too low, but just right. If the color the fluid looks brown, then the transmission fluid has to be changed for cleaner liquid.
People slow down in the winter because of the road conditions, but start to speed up in the summer. You should check your power steering fluid to be sure that is topped off and in good working order. Low levels can cause steering to be little bit more difficult. And if the power steering fluid is dirty, it can lead to some very serious mechanical problems requiring very expensive repairs. The brakes have to be reliable and brake pads can be affected by high temperatures. These should be inspected to make sure everything is in good working order. Excessive heat can cause the brake fluid to degrade which will have a negative impact on the ability of the brakes to respond quickly. Brake failure is a real possibility if the brake fluid is substandard. Checking on it is a very good safety precaution.
Your battery is going to get a pretty heavy workout during the months of July and August. This is another case where fluid levels have to be acceptable, but also the batteries top has to be looked at. Discharge or any leaks around the battery top can cause difficulty in the electrical system. A sealed battery is not going to require as much attention, but all the same you should have a battery checked to be sure it’s in good order. You will not have to worry about build up on your car but there will be grime and dirt coming from the road and that is very true after a heavy rain. Having a car wash done every six weeks or so during the summer keeps things clean underneath.
The old adage about surviving the summer is to drink lots of fluids. You probably figured out by reading this article that fluids are extremely important for your automobile’s summer health. The brake fluid and the power steering fluid are going to be critical. You have to be sure that they are the right level and that they’re not full of grime and contaminants. If you’re caught in stop and go traffic a good idea would be to simply turn off the air conditioning and roll down the windows. It may be a little bit uncomfortable, but having the car overheat in slow traffic is dangerous. Always be sure the tires are at their proper air pressure.
You can do a lot of the preventative work yourself. It doesn’t take a genius or master craftsman to check the fluid levels in the car. If you bring the car in for an oil change ask them to take a look at the brake fluid and the transmission fluid as well. You are doing all of this to be sure that your car runs safely during the summer. The precautions are also financially prudent. Having transmission or the brake system collapse in the summer leads to an awful lot of serious expenses. You don’t want that to happen when you are miles away from home on vacation. Checking and making sure that your car is summer ready is very sensible.
Copyright 2018 Pro Car Mechanics
Site Design & Marketing by 