Whether you’re taking a quick drive to the store or on the highway for a long road trip, it’s important to know some common vehicle issues to prepare for in the summertime to make sure rising temperatures don’t put your safety or your car in jeopardy and ruin your summer fun.
Check Your Gauges
While being in a car which starts to overheat can be scary, much worse would be a faulty gauge that does not warn you of the problem before it is too late. This issue can also arise if your car’s oil pressure gauge fails to warn you when your oil level gets low, which could lead to major engine problems if not taken care of. Because of these, and many other issues, make sure you and your passengers can ride safely by having a mechanic check that all of your car’s gauges are in good working order and will help you stay safe and your car healthy.
Keep a Cool Head
Improperly functioning AC systems can get hot inside your car and cause you and your passengers to overheat quickly. If you have not used your AC recently, you should test it and if you find it is not keeping up with the rising temperatures outside, you should get it checked out by a professional before heading out for a summer getaway. Problems which could cause a malfunctioning AC could range from simple fixes such as getting it recharged, or it could be indicative of more serious issues such as leaks or compressor issues. Given the wide range of reasons your AC may be unable to keep up, it is recommended to use professionals to aid in the diagnostic process.
Keep Your Car Cool
While it is important to keep cool inside the car, keeping your engine cool is equally important. Temperatures can be dangerously hot in the summertime, and the last thing you want is a vehicle overheating when you are cruising on the highway and unable to pull over quickly and safely. Before the temperatures rise too much, you should check your engine coolant levels and add if necessary. If you experience engine temperature issues after this, you may need to have your radiator flushed by a mechanic, or you could be in for a new car battery to supply a sufficient amount of energy to the car to cool properly. If this problem persists, it may be due to a transmission issue, which you should get checked as soon as possible. Other ways to keep your car cool when you are not using it, thus decreasing how hard your car will have to work when you do use it again, are to park your car in the shade, use car window shades and leave car windows open slightly to release trapped hot air.
Know Your Tires
One of the most common obstacles daily drivers encounter is getting a notification their tire air pressure is low, forcing them to pull over to the nearest gas station or auto shop to have their tires re-inflated. But what happens when your tires are actually overinflated? When temperatures outside rise exponentially, so do tires, possibly making the air inside them expand. When this happens and tires spin in the tire’s sidewall, they can be more likely to bulge and potentially blow. To avoid this from happening, check your air pressure every 5,000 miles and on especially hot days before a long trip to make sure it is within a safe range to endure the warm temperatures.
