As the long hot summer is just around the corner, we have started pampering ourselves by staying hydrated, using a variety of moisturisers or lotions, and eating foods that will help us stay cool. However, the blistering heat also has a bad effect on automobiles. Soaring temperatures make cars vulnerable to overheating and can even cause engine failures or tyre blowouts. Therefore, it is all-important to ensure to keep your car in top condition throughout the summer months. Here are some easy tips and checks you must make to avoid breakdowns.
Pre-summer service and check-up
While the summer has not started yet, the heat has already started getting to all of us, including the cars. Thus, it is high time, your car visited a workshop for a thorough check-up.
Although we use in-cabin air conditioning throughout the year, it gets hotter during the long hot summer months. So, you must get the air conditioning serviced well before the high summer arrives. Furthermore, the engine needs all the lubrication it can get while fully running in blistering heat. So, it is necessary to change the oil to ensure the longevity and durability of the car’s engine.
If you are making sure to stay hydrated throughout the high summer days, you should also keep an eye on the car’s coolant. Not only is it one of the most important fluids needed to run your car, but it also keeps the engine at optimum temperatures and maintains its performance. If the coolant level is lower than required, it could cause a breakdown and engine overheating. Therefore, top up the coolant or you can even change it along with servicing the radiator. Be it the engine oil, brake/transmission fluids, or the coolant, do not buy cheap or unknown products, always use high-grade fluids in your car.
The battery is composed of acid and water and the water evaporates quicker in the hot summer than it does in cold ones. It can leave the lead plates exposed, which may lead to the battery discharging completely.
If your car has a turbocharger, ask your mechanic to check the intercooler and service it if necessary. Similarly, you should also ask the mechanic to clean the air filter in the car or replace it if you have not in your last major service.
Tyres
Making sure that all tyres have recommended tyre pressure in soaring temperatures is essential. The rubber of the tyre can disintegrate or even abruptly blow out if the tyre is of the wrong pressure.
Park in the shade
Keeping your car in a shaded area or under the shade of some trees is one of the most important things you can do to keep your car from turning into an oven and to stop the faster evaporation of fuel. Firstly, if you park your vehicle in the shade, you may not need to pre-cool it every now and then. Plus this also helps save some fuel. Secondly, fuel evaporates more rapidly on hot summer days than it does in colder temperatures. Hence keeping your car in the shade will save on accelerated fuel consumption.
We use sunscreens with SPF 30 or 50 to protect our skin in the blazing heat. Similarly, cars have somewhat delicate layers of coats and paint. The car’s paint is vulnerable to UVA and UVB rays and can oxidise and fade it. This can deteriorate the paint under prolonged exposure to high summer sunlight. More to the point, high-grade car wax or UV treatment is claimed to repel heat and creates a layer over the paint to protect the shade.
Apart from that, drink ample water and eat water-rich fruits. Plus wear shades, and a cap, and always use sunscreen. Most importantly, avoid going out in the afternoon provided that it is all-important.
Keyword: Beat the heat: Top easy car care tips for this summer