Getting your car ready for summer is an important part of safety and fun during the warm, and often exciting, summer months. Here are a few suggestions for how you can prepare your car for the conditions of summer:
1. Change over anything winter left on your car. For example, remove snow tires, chains, or anything else you may have put on or in your car to help you get through the winter months. You may also want to change your wipers, as the winter months tend to be hard on them, and you don’t want to get caught in a summer shower without good windshield wipers.
2. Change your oil to a higher/thicker viscosity. The owner’s manual of your car will tell you what the optimal viscosity of oil for your car is. Just remember, oil tends to thin out a bit as it heats, and so what was thick enough in the winter, may not be in the summer. Ask a mechanic if you are in doubt as to what viscosity oil to use. A good rule of thumb is to go up at least one level.
3. Check your tire pressure. Your tires should be properly inflated at all times, as this helps you get the most life out of the tire, as well as improve fuel efficiency, comfort of ride, and more. However, the change in atmosphere, or temperature, can cause your tires to become over or under inflated due the expansion or contraction of air. Cooler air is denser, so you might need to inflate fuller in winter. So, buy a tire pressure gauge, and regularly check your tire air pressure to ensure it is at the manufacturer recommendations. Additionally, check pressure whenever the temperature fluctuates significantly, or you are in doubt of proper inflation.
4. Make sure your air conditioner is running cool. If it is blowing air, but it is not as cool as you would like it to be, it might just need a Freon charge. So, take it in, and have the air conditioner charged in order to give you a cooler summer.
5. Fill all fluids in your car. In the summer, your radiator needs to be full, but that is not the only fluid to be worried about. You should also top off your windshield wiper fluid, etc. It might be a good time to flush these systems, and start fresh, but check with your local mechanic as to when you need to do that.
6. Lastly, when getting your car ready for summer, consider what you can do inside it as well. For one, get a windshield screen or visor in order to protect the interior from heat producing, and damaging rays of sunshine. Furthermore, make sure you have sunglasses, water bottles, sunscreen, and a few other summer necessities in your car.
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