You gathered and cleaned out old gas receipts, thrown out food wrappers, and even vacuumed your car. You went the extra mile and gave your car an extra long and soapy wash. After all that work you think your car is finally ready for summer adventures to start. It’s not! Everything under the hood needs to be prepared for summer.
Cleaning your car is a good start but what about your tires and brakes? When is the last time you got an oil change? It’s best to take your car into your local mechanic before the summer season begins. They will check all your fluids, lights, brakes, and more to ensure that your car is ready for the road. You can do some checks at home, if you see, hear or smell something off then take it into your mechanic.
Your air conditioner will make or break your summer, you want it to be working so it can cool you off during those extremely hot days. Run your AC system for a bit to see if it is blowing cold air and noises. It might need to be cleaned, recharged, or replaced.
Taking a look under the hood you’ll want to look at few things, make sure your car is completely cooled off so you don’t burn yourself. If you recently drove your vehicle to wait a few hours to cool off. You’ll want to look at your battery to see if there is corrosion on it. If there is you can clean it off with some baking soda and a toothbrush. Once it’s clean check it every few weeks to see if the corrosion comes back if it does there is a bigger issue. Next, check your oil and oil filter. If you haven’t had an oil change in a while then now is the time to do so. If your oil is low then top it off and check back in a few weeks to see if the oil levels drop, if they do there could be a leak.
Another fluid to check is your brake fluid and coolant. Top off your brake fluid, if your brake fluid is constantly becoming low then you should take it into your mechanic because there is a leak. Constantly topping it off is only a temporary solution. Keep yourself cool is important, but making sure your car is keeping cool is more important. Overheating is the main cause of breakdowns in the summer weather. Check your coolant levels, this liquid should be clear and not cloudy. Your cooling system should be cleaned and flushed every 24 months for maximum performance.
The last thing to do to get your car ready for summer is to check your tires and brakes. If you still have your winter tires on get those removed as soon as possible, they will wear out much faster in the warmer weather. Check your tire pressure when it's cold, like the morning, and make sure they are properly inflated so you have full control over your car while driving and can improve gas mileage. If your tire isn’t properly inflated it can easily overheat and blowout while driving. Your owners manual and driver side door will have the correct tire pressure for your car.
Warmer weather makes your car work harder, heat expands the air in your tires and your cooling system is working constantly. By summarizing your car you can minimize the summer heat toll that your car takes. Stop by Brown Motor Works to get your car ready for summer and ease your mind. Schedule an appointment today to get your vehicle warm-weather ready. See you soon!