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Summertime is travel time. Even with gasoline prices at an all-time high, Americans are still heading to sunny skies and the open road. According to a survey by AAA, 31.7 million Americans planned to travel by car over Memorial Day weekend 2008, despite gas prices that are an average of $.60 more per gallon over the previous year [source: The Los Angeles Times].
Even if you are not planning a summer road trip, getting your car ready for the summer heat can save you money by increasing your gas mileage as well as prevent costly repairs. Emily Griffith Technical College’s ASE certified mechanics program offers the highest quality education for students to learn how to both prevent and repair most car problems. Here are the top 10 tips to keep your car in good working order for the summer:
10: Check Your Tires
Tires are one of the most overlooked parts of a car. According the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), only one out of 10 drivers checks his or her tire pressure correctly, compared with almost seven out of 10 who wash their cars regularly [source: RMA]. But the truth is that an under-inflated, over-inflated, worn down or misaligned tire can be extremely dangerous, particularly in hot summer weather.
Tire pressure changes with the rising temperatures -- approximately one to two PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10-degree increase in outside air temperature [source: RMA]. Consult your owner's manual or the sidewall of your tire to see what your tire pressure should be and check it with a hand pressure gauge or just let the guys at the service shop do it for you.
9: Change Oil and Oil Filter
Oil is the lifeblood of your car. It keeps hardworking engine parts running clean, smooth and cool. Most owner's manuals suggest that you change your oil and oil filter every 7,500 miles (12,070 kilometers). Oil change specialists suggest every 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) or three months. The fact is, most of us do a lot of heavy driving during the summer when an engine is more likely to overheat. So at least check your oil before you head out on that road trip with the family.
8: De-Winterize Your Car
First of all, get rid of those snow tires. Snow tires are heavy and will lower your fuel economy. It's also important to really clean the undercarriage of the car after a long winter, especially if you live in a snowy climate. The salt that's used to melt snow and ice on roads can get caked on the underside of your car and begin to eat away at the metal. Lots of caked-on gunk will also make your engine and transmission run hotter, because heat has a harder time escaping through the bottom of the car.
You can clean the undercarriage yourself using a plain water hose or high-pressure cleaning system. Many professional car washes and detailing services can also perform a high-pressure steam clean for really nasty build-up.
7: Check Hoses and Belts
The key to summer driving is keeping the engine cool. If a hose breaks or a belt snaps, your car may overheat. The hoses connected to the radiator help pump coolant to and from the engine block, and the belts run the fan that helps cool the system further [source: CBS News]. If the hoses crack or the belts snap, the radiator will quickly overheat, leaving you stranded.
Check hoses for cracks, leaks and loose connections. Hoses should be firm, never soft and malleable. Hoses suffer from a slow deterioration process called electrochemical degradation (ECD) that eats away at rubber hose material from the inside [source: Consumer Reports]. The most vulnerable parts of the hose are those nearest to clamps where the hose connects to the radiator or the engine.
Belts can also be visually checked for cracks and damage. Take note if the belt looks excessively slick or smooth. Remove the belt to make sure that the material hasn't started separating into different layers. Experts say the risk of belt failure rises dramatically after 36,000 miles (57,936 kilometers) [source: Consumer Reports].
6: Change the Air Filter
Over the winter, your car's air filter can get clogged with salt and other thick debris. A clogged air filter can really lower your fuel efficiency. Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent [source: Pep Boys].
The recommended interval to change a filter is every 12,000 miles (19,312 kilometers), but that can be affected by the particular road and air conditions in which you drive. If you do a lot of driving on dirt or gravel roads, then your air filter is going to clog up much faster than an air filter in a vehicle that's used strictly for highway driving. The only real way to know if you need to replace your air filter is take it out and give it a quick inspection.
Interestingly, a slightly dirty air filter works better than a totally clean one [source: Yahoo! Autos]. This is because the debris in the filter becomes part of the filtering process, trapping smaller particles that might have otherwise slipped past.
There's no real science to knowing when it's time to replace the filter. If it's really filthy, then it obviously needs to be changed. If you're preparing for a long summer of hard driving, then you might as well replace it. Air filters are relatively inexpensive.
5: Replace Your Windshield Wipers
The summertime is notorious for sudden, violent thunderstorms. When buckets of water are beating against your windshield, you need wipers that really work. Even more so at night, when a rain storm can decrease visibility to 15 or 20 feet in front of your vehicle.
Winter can be tough on windshield wipers. Ice, snow, salt and extreme temperatures make cracks and tears in the rubber that lower the effectiveness of the wipers. If your wipers are leaving visible streaks or take several passes to clear away light rain, they need to be replaced.
When replacing a wiper blade, it's better to replace the whole blade, not just the rubber part [source: NAPA Online]. Go to an auto parts store and they'll be able to give you the right blades for your make, model and year.
4: Check Your Brakes
Your brakes are the single most important safety feature on your car. Don't put yourself or your family at risk this summer by riding around on worn down or faulty brakes.
Here are some signs that your brakes need to be checked:
Your brake pedal becomes very soft and mushy
Your brake pedal is very hard and resistant
Your brake pedal rests too low or too high
Indication or warning lights on the dashboard
Loud and constant scraping and grinding sounds coming from the brakes
Interestingly, squealing brakes are not necessarily a sign of a problem. Brakes squeal and squeak for a wide variety of reasons, including moisture on the brake pads, discs, shoes and drums. You should only become concerned if the squealing becomes a scraping or grinding noise. This is a sign of metal-to-metal contact, which can permanently damage brake parts.
If you notice a brake problem, it pays to have it inspected or repaired as soon as possible. The cost of a brake repair can increase dramatically if even minor problems aren't fixed in a timely manner.
3: Check the Coolant and Radiator
The summertime is tough on cooling systems. Sitting in traffic on a hot day is one of the quickest ways to overheat your car. This is because there's no air flowing across the engine to help keep it cool. A well-tuned cooling system can take long idles in hot weather, but if you have low coolant levels or a busted fan belt, your engine temperature is going to go up -- and fast.
Check under the hood and make sure that your coolant levels are fine. The general rule is to flush your radiator and add new coolant at least every two years. Flushing the radiator is done with a special chemical that cleans debris and build-up on the inside of the radiator. For summer driving, coolant should be added as a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water. You can even buy premixed coolant so you don't have to bother with the measurements.
If you see a small puddle of coolant under your car when it's been parked for a while, then you have a coolant leak. Take it to the service station as soon as you can to get your system checked out.
2: Clean Your Battery
Wintertime is notorious for dead batteries and early morning jumpstarts. But the truth is that hot weather is even tougher on your battery.
Summer heat can speed up the chemical reaction inside a battery, causing the battery to be overcharged [source: CBS News]. This can dramatically shorten the lifespan of your battery. Heat can also damage the battery by evaporating internal battery fluid [source: Car Care Council].
The best way to keep your battery running smoothly is to keep it clean. Regularly detach the battery cables and wipe off the terminals. Make sure the battery is strapped down tightly and that all connections are secure. Corroded battery terminals prevent your car from running at its best. A paste of baking soda and water can clean it off.
1: Maintain Your Air Conditioning
If you've ever lost your air conditioning on a hot summer day, then you know what a big difference a little cool air makes. The best way to tell if your air conditioner has a problem is if it can't generate or maintain air temperatures that are 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) below the ambient outside air temperature.
The most common cause of a malfunctioning air conditioning unit is a low level of refrigerant. This could be caused buy a leak somewhere in the system. Since modern air conditioning systems are complicated creatures, it's best to have a professional check out the problem.
Source: How Stuff Works.com Top 10 Car Summer Maintenance Tips by Dave Roos
Photo Source: Emily Griffith Technical College, Automotive Technology Program
