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There’s no doubt about it—most Americans do more driving during the summer than any other time of the year, so it pays to make sure your car is properly maintained. The last thing you want on a summer trip is to have major repairs throw a wrench into your vacation plans! In order to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, we’ve provided a basic checklist to know what to check on your car before heading out to hit the open road.
The Basics of Car Maintenance
Do a tire check. This is more than just making sure they stay properly inflated. It would include the following
Look for wear on the tread of the tires. If it seems uneven, your tires may not be properly aligned. Take it in to fix this if you notice uneven tread.
Look for smooth or “bald” spots on your tires. The tires should be replaced immediately to avoid a more dangerous and costly issue.
Tire pressure. Check the pressure of your tires weekly and inflate them as needed. This affects your gas mileage, so take it seriously!
Keep an eye on the check engine light and the engine belts. The engine belt is a crucial part of car maintenance! It controls every operating system in your car. It’s a snowball effect with how it works, moving from one system to the next. If one belt fails to operate correctly, it can affect the overall function of the car. Check for cracking on the engine belts from time to time. The hot temperatures can cause all rubber components to crack, so they need to be maintained. The good news here is that these engine belts are easy to replace yourself and they don’t cost a lot. Car maintenance experts say the belts should be replaced every 36,000 miles.
Check the battery. It’s not just winter that can kill a car battery. Summer’s heat can wreak havoc on a battery and the chemicals inside, so check your battery often. Following are some hot weather tips for your battery:
Keep terminals connected securely.
Keep the battery clean and brush away any corrosion.
Use a paste of water and baking soda to clean the connections, or take it in to your mechanic.
Maintain the cooling system. The most common thing to happen with the AC or cooling components is to see leaks. If there is neon green liquid dripping out, then you have a leak. You can check the radiator to see if there is adequate fluid. There should be at least a half gallon of cooling fluid in the radiator. Cracks in your car’s hoses can also cause leaks. Even if you don’t yet see a leak, it can save you huge headaches if you go ahead and replace cracked hoses now.
Good car maintenance can’t be stressed enough, especially in the hot summer months! Just stay on top of these steps and you will save yourself big hassles and big money! For more information on care maintenance and keeping your car in tip-top shape, call Matt’s Caddy Shack at (619) 440-5958
