You probably associate the winter months with car trouble: freezing oil and fluids, dead car batteries, and decreasing tire pressure are all major inconveniences that can easily happen during the winter.
But summertime can actually bring about a whole host of other problems that you might not think about until it’s too late! It’s important to consider the following car maintenance tips before you get stranded on your family’s road trip this summer.
Prevent engine overheating
It seems like every summer is getting hotter, and with extreme heat comes an increased risk of engine overheating. Overheating is a serious problem that should not be ignored– if you keep driving with an overheating engine, you risk major damage to many systems within your car.
An overheating engine is typically the result of a malfunction within your car’s cooling system, and it’s exacerbated by extreme summer heat. Black asphalt roadways absorb heat, making roadways hotter than the outside air temperature and potentially making the problem even worse.
The best prevention for engine overheating is regular maintenance. Getting your car checked out on a regular basis will help you catch problems like a leak within your cooling system, a clogged coolant hose, or a broken water pump– all potential factors in engine overheating.
However, even with regular maintenance, your engine still might overheat when you least expect it. If this happens, you should do everything you can to direct heat away from the engine.
Although it sounds incredibly uncomfortable, you should immediately turn on the heat in your car and turn up the fans. This redirects heat into the car and away from the engine, which can help it cool down. You can open your windows to make this process a little more bearable.
If you notice your engine overheating, your best bet will be pulling over to the side of the road (as safely and carefully as possible) and opening up the hood of your car.
It’s possible that the combination of redirecting the heat, stopping the car, and opening the hood can return the engine to a safe temperature, allowing you to take your car in for service as soon as possible.
Make sure the AC is working
Air conditioning is necessary for comfortable and safe summer driving. Cars retain heat and can become dangerously warm much more quickly than you might think.
If you turn on your air conditioning and feel hot air that never turns cool, it’s likely that there’s a problem with your AC system. If you have the knowledge, you can potentially add refrigerant to your car yourself– for a quick fix. However, this problem is best left to the professionals.
Check the fluids
Changes in temperature can greatly affect the fluids in your car. In the hot summer months, the heat can cause fluids to evaporate. Be sure to keep an eye on your coolant, windshield wiper fluid, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid. If you don’t know how to check and change these yourself, visit a trusted mechanic to help you make sure that everything’s working the way it should.
Keep an eye on your windshield
Temperature fluctuations can put stress on your car’s windshield, making it more susceptible to cracks and damage. Try to avoid parking your car in direct sunlight whenever possible, and be aware of major changes from cool to hot weather.
If your windshield does happen to sustain a stress crack from heat changes, it’s time to contact a glass technician for a repair. Fast Glass offers mobile repair services, which means that it’s possible to get your windshield fixed up without even leaving the comfort of your home or office.
In order to schedule an appointment, give us a call today at 800-242-5644.
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