Preventative Maintenance, How to Get Your Car Ready for Summer

Getting your car ready for summer is not just about dealing with issues that arise when they arise, but preventative maintenance. The following is a look at some of the preventative maintenance tips:

Keep battery clean: One of the best things you can do to keep your car in good condition, and ensure that it is ready for summer is to make sure the battery is in good repair. You want to check the battery regularly for cracks and bulges, and you want to clean the posts and cables regularly as well. You have to make sure that your battery is clean so that you do not get stranded somewhere.

Check tire pressure: Your tires are an essential part of your car, and if the tire pressure is off, your car will not operate as well as it should. The tires will wear out unevenly, and much faster because the friction will be higher. If your tire pressure is off, your fuel efficiency will be off. You will have to pay more to get from point A to point B. When the temperature changes, from spring to summer, your tires can become under or overinflated. So, an easy fix to a future expensive problem, is to regularly gauge your tires, and make sure that they are inflated to the manufacturer recommendations. Any time there are significant changes in temperature, check your tire pressure.

Give your car a good once-over.

Change your oil: When summer comes you should change your oil, even if it has not been 3000 miles since your last oil change. The reason for this is because you need thicker viscosity oil during the warmer months for your engine to run properly. If you use too thin of an oil, your engine may not get the lubrication it needs, and this can lead to severe, and expensive, problems down the road. So, if you take your vehicle in for oil changes, ask that they use a thicker grade viscosity, and if you do it yourself, choose a thicker viscosity on your own.

Keep fluids full: One way to prevent problems in your car is to make sure that it always has sufficient oil, transmission fluid, anti-freeze, and yes, even wiper fluid. Keeping the fluids topped off, and making sure you occasionally flush systems so that you can guarantee a clean, debris free environment, is an important part of keeping your car running at its best.

Regularly check belts and hoses for stress, cracking, breakage, and the like. Your engine may be in great condition, but sometimes hoses, belts, etc. can’t take as much abuse as other parts of the engine. If you do not take preventative measures, a broken belt can be a much more costly repair, as it can cause further damage if it comes off while driving.