Don’t let summer eat your car! Park it in the shade whenever possible to protect vital car components from the effects of extreme heat. During the hottest days of summer, these are the big five things to look out for when temperatures soar into the triple digits.
All drivers can benefit from a few basic summer car care tips. Learn the big five to help your vehicle survive this summer’s heat wave:
Gas
Don’t worry, you’re probably not going to blow up or anything. However, driving and fueling up during the hottest time of day (around 2 PM – 4 PM) will waste much more gas and seriously drain your wallet.
Battery
High temperatures destroy car batteries. The heat causes battery acid to evaporate, dramatically shortening its lifespan and leaving drivers stranded during the hottest days of summer. By parking in the shade, regularly testing your battery, and replacing batteries older than 3 years, you can prevent the hassle of suffering through a dead battery. Also, it couldn’t hurt to always keep a set of jumper cables handy.
Windshield Wipers
Yes, your windshield wipers can melt – well, sort of. Triple digit temperatures cause wipers to get stuck to the glass, a result of slight deterioration caused by extreme heat. This can be dangerous if you happen to press your windshield washer button while driving and the wipers fail. However, you can prevent wipers from sticking by simply using them on a regular basis. So go ahead press that windshield washer button when you start the car each morning. That way you’ll have a clean windshield and reliable wipers.
Tires
The risk of catastrophic tire failure is much higher when temperatures soar. In mild weather, a damaged or improperly inflated tire may just go flat, while in hotter weather it could cause a more serious blowout. Catastrophic tire failure often results in more dangerous auto accidents and even rollovers and deadly collisions. By checking for tire damage and proper inflation regularly, drivers can prevent suffering through a summer tire blowout. Since temperatures can vary up to 30 degrees in the summer – from a 100-degree day to a 70-degree night – it’s important to check your tire pressure daily.
Transmission
Because summer time is also play time, many drivers hook up the boat or camper trailer during this time of year. However, many new drivers fail to check and see if their transmission can handle the strain. Pulling too much weight can be a transmission killer. However, a little bit of towing knowledge and some auxiliary transmission oil cooler protect your vehicle when towing the boat or jet ski. It’s best to leave the bigger, heavier trailers to heavy-duty trucks.