Need to Know: Summerize Your Car

Summer is the time of road trips, vacations, and more. However, you need your car to be in tip-top condition, and make sure that it is ready for summer. The following are some simple tips for how to get your car ready for summer:

First, make sure your air conditioning is working in tiptop shape. It is hard to drive in a car that is too hot, so check your air to make sure it is blowing cold. If not, take it in and charge it with Freon so that you can have a nice cool car this summer.

Check all your fluids regularly.

Second, help keep your car cool by investing in a windshield visor that sits in the window of your car and protects it from direct sunlight. This way the steering wheel, and other interior features are not going to burn you when you touch them, even if you can’t find a shaded spot to park in. Additionally, your car interior will last longer when it is not getting so many UV rays.

Third, take time to check the fluids in your car. You need to make sure all of your washer fluids, radiator fluid, and oil is full. Also, make sure that when the hotter months hit that you are using a thicker viscosity oil, as oil thins as it heats, and if it is too hot, it might not be thick enough to do its job properly, and could cause severe engine problems.

Fourth, take the time to check your tire pressure, and if need be, invest in a tire pressure gauge. Changes in temperature can leave your tires too inflated or under inflated, which is not only bad for the tire tread, but for your fuel efficiency as well. You will get a lot more driving for your money this summer if you have your tires properly inflated. Check your owner’s manual to determine what the proper tire inflation is for your vehicle.

Fifth, load your car up with all of those things you will need all summer long, probably every time you drive, or go anywhere. Besides the mechanical ways to get your car ready for summer, there are the practical and life applicable ways too. For example, put a few extra pairs on sunglasses in your car, such as in the glove compartment, so that you are never caught in the blinding sun without some shades. Put a bottle of sunscreen in your car so that you always have UV protection. Consider a few water bottles, snack foods, and a blanket or towel for those spur of the moment picnics, outdoor games, beach visits, and the like. You will never regret throwing a few fun items into your trunk like a Frisbee or soccer ball. The summer is all about outdoor fun, so stock your car so you are always prepared.