8 Tips for Car Maintenance in Hot Weather

As temperatures rise, so does your car’s needs. Make sure your vehicle is up to the challenges of summer using the following car care tips. Here is 8 tips for car maintenance in hot weather

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Check your tires

Tires are one of the most neglected parts of a car, with only one in ten drivers checking their tire pressure properly, compared to almost seven in ten who regularly wash their car. But the truth is that an over-inflated, under-inflated, worn or misaligned tire can be extremely dangerous, especially in hot summer weather.

Tire pressure changes with rising temperatures – about one to two PSI (kilograms per square centimeter) for every 10 degree increase in outside temperature. Check your service manual or the sidewall of your tire to find out what your tire pressure should be and check it with a pressure gauge at a service station or let the employees of a garage do it for you.

An under-inflated tire inflates outward and puts excessive pressure on the sidewalls of the tire. With enough heat and pressure, this tire will eventually burst. An overinflated tire, on the other hand, has less contact with the road and can lead to hydroplaning in wet conditions.

Change the oil and the oil filter

Oil is the lifeblood of your car. It keeps engine parts running clean, smooth and cool. Most service manuals suggest changing the oil and oil filter every 12,070 kilometers. Oil change specialists suggest changing every 3,000 miles or every three months. The thing is, most of us drive a lot in the summer, when the engine is more likely to overheat. So at least check your oil before you go on a trip with your family.

To check your oil, let your car run for a few minutes, then park it on a flat surface and turn off the engine. Open the hood and locate the oil dipstick. You need to check two things: the oil level and the appearance of the oil. If the oil level is low, you can either add oil or change the oil completely. The oil should be brownish yellow and clean on the metal dipstick. If the oil is dark in color or there is a lot of dirt and grime, then you definitely need to change the oil and replace the oil filter.

Check the coolant and radiator

Cars are designed to run hot, but there’s a limit to how hot they should run. A combustion engine is most efficient at around 93 degrees. But if the engine is allowed to get too hot, the moving metal parts can start to melt and fuse, leading to various internal problems for your engine and, you guessed it, a hefty repair bill.

Fortunately, all modern cars are equipped with an ingenious cooling system that uses chemical coolant, and a series of pumps, hoses, thermostats and fans to keep the car at its optimum operating temperature. But any problem with this system — low coolant, cracked hoses, loose or broken belts, a leak in the radiator, or even a loose or missing radiator cap — can cause your car to overheat and break down.

Summer is tough on cooling systems. Driving in traffic on a hot day is one of the fastest ways to overheat your car. Indeed, there is no air circulating in the engine to cool it. A well-tuned cooling system can withstand long periods of idling in hot weather, but if the coolant level is low or the fan belt is broken, the engine temperature will rise – and quickly.

Get your car out of its winter mode

If you had prepared your vehicle for winter, there are several things you need to do to bring your car into summer. First, get rid of those snow tires. Snow tires are heavy and reduce your fuel consumption.

If you haven’t driven your car much over the winter, or you’ve winterized it, you should check all fluid levels – coolant, transmission, differential, power steering, and brake fluid – to make sure there are no leaks. You also need to change the oil, because it gets thick and collects condensation if it sits in the engine all winter. If you haven’t used your battery for a long time, you may need to recharge or replace it.

Check your brakes

Your brakes are your car’s most important safety feature. Don’t put your family or yourself at risk this summer by riding with worn or faulty brakes.

Brakes should be replaced when the brake pad or shoe lining is worn beyond the minimum thickness specified by the vehicle manufacturer or by national legislation. You can have your brake linings checked at any normal service shop or brake specialist.

Check hoses and belts

The key to summer driving is to keep the engine cool. We’ll talk about the radiator and coolant soon, but first you need to check the hoses and belts. Hoses connected to the radiator help pump coolant to and from the engine block, and belts run the fan which helps further cool the system. If the hoses crack or the belts break, the radiator will quickly overheat, leaving you in trouble.

Check the hoses for cracks, leaks or loose connections. The hoses must be firm, never soft and malleable. Hoses are subject to a slow deterioration process called electrochemical degradation which eats away at the rubber of the hose from the inside. The most vulnerable parts of the hose are those closest to the clamps where the hose connects to the radiator or engine.

Change the air filter

During the winter, your car’s air filter can become clogged with salt and other thick debris. A clogged air filter can really increase your fuel consumption. Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter can improve fuel economy by 10%.

But how do you know when to change your air filter? The recommended interval is around 20,000 kilometers, but this may depend on the particular road and weather conditions you are driving in. If you drive a lot on dirt or gravel roads, your air filter will clog up much faster than a vehicle used strictly for highway driving. The only real way to know if you need to replace your air filter is to get it out and inspect it quickly.

Replace your windshield wipers

Summer is known for its sudden and violent thunderstorms. When the equivalent of buckets of water hit your windshield, you need wipers that really work. This is even more true at night, when a thunderstorm can reduce visibility in front of your vehicle.

Winter can be tough on windshield wipers. Ice, snow, salt and extreme temperatures cause cracks and tears in the rubber which reduce the effectiveness of the wipers. If your windshield wipers leave visible streaks or take multiple passes to clear light rain, they need to be replaced.