Your car needs your attention every now and then especially during summer. Here is a checklist to keep your car healthy.
Table of Contents
1. Check your tires.
Mind the pressure of the tires. Low pressure in the tires can reduce the mileage and can be very dangerous at times.
The temperature of the roads would be very high during summer which can be very dangerous as it would expand the air inside the tire and eventually burst the tire. This becomes very serious while cruising at triple digit speeds in the highway. It would make the vehicle unstable and leads to catastrophe. If you encounter such situation, never panic don’t apply the brakes. Floor the vehicle instead, gain complete control of the vehicle and then apply the brakes cautiously.
2. Check all the fluids
Pop the hood and check the essential fluids (Coolant, washer fluid, Engine oil and brake) before you take off for a long journey. If the level is not pleasing, top it up as per the manufacturer’s prescription. Be careful while handling brake fluid as it is very reactive. I would advise you to wipe off the places near the reservoir.
3. Mind your air conditioning system.
Air conditioning system is the ones we rely during the hot days of summer. Check them as well. If you feel that your A/C is not functioning properly, take your car to the garage and the people there would fill the cooling fluid, change air filters, check for leakage and fix them is anything is not perfect.
4. Don’t recirculate on long drives.
Never leave the A/C of your car to recirculate the air, this causes tiredness. Take in air from the outside this may be less effective than the other option but it is a safer alternative especially on long journey. This can be toggled by pressing the button shown above.
5. Open the windows.
If you happen to park your car in a open parking space, open all the windows about half an inch this would help in reducing the temperature of the cabin.
6. Wait for some time if you park in the hot sun.
If you park your car in the hot sun, before starting your journey, open the windows completely for a couple of minutes and then get in. This is because, the sun’s radiation would have increased the temperatures of the plastic bits of the car’s interiors and this is very harmful for the body. This is more serious if there is no sun control film*. Switching the A/C ON while rolling the windows down for some time is a quick solution.
7. Sunglasses!
This is not a vital need but when you start using one, you would feel that it is very important especially during sunrise and sunset. Visor cannot help you from the sun all the time because it cannot cover all the places where sun rays can strike. Also, it would hinder the visibility therefore wearing a sunglass would not only be comfortable but also, it protects your eyes from UV rays. Powered sunglasses are very much available these days and that would be helpful for those who have to wear eyeglasses.
8. Try to park the car under shade
Too much of exposure to sunlight can ruin the paint job of your car which is very harmful in the long run and cost a lot of money to repair them. Also, it makes the car look very unpleasant. Moreover, the temperatures of steering wheel, seat, plastics, leather and other parts of the interior would increase causing them to wear off very quickly. Therefore, avoid parking in an open parking space for longer hours. Use a sunshade in all the window area to not let the sunlight inside your car if you cannot find a shady parking space.
9. Wiper blades.
Wiper blades tend to get hard during summer easily due to intense heat. Therefore, check them regularly and replace them with a new pair whenever required as a poor wiper blade may scratch your car’s windshield.
I hope that these tips help you. Maintain your car perfectly and let it munch the miles for you.