A Checklist To Prepare Your Car For Summer

Spring is in full swing and summer is coming soon! The temperature will go up and your car will witness more dust and traffic. And all these can take a toll on your car’s performance by causing a mechanic failure of a part or a component. The season brings in its own set of challenges for car driving. But giving some attention to your car service and maintenance will help you keep it in tip-top condition throughout the summer season.
Particularly if you are planning for a long driving this summer, make sure your car go through necessary maintenance before you depart. This will prevent you from wasting your valuable travel time waiting on a road side for mechanic help. In worst, car overlooked for summer preparation may also ruin your entire holiday trip.
Here is a complete checklist on how to prepare your vehicle for summer.

Cooling System & Air Conditioning:

According to a recent study, summer has the highest number of car breakdown mainly due to overheated engine. Hot air and high speed can badly impact your car’s engine; traffic jams can also cause overheating of the engine. To prevent breakdown, make sure your car air conditioning system is working at its optimal efficiency.
It is strongly recommended to take your car for air con services which include air con recharge and replacement of a worn out or damaged part if any. It is also wise to get your car fully serviced before going on a driving holiday.
A professional car service station offering air con services will measure the coolant strength and check all other parts or components in line with manufacturer’s guidelines. They will flush out the old antifreeze liquid, as it may lead to corrosion of parts. So, if you haven’t cooled your car using air fans or air con since long time, which is quite casual in winter days, first check if they are working properly and the vents aren’t blocked.

Wipers & Windscreen

Summer wind can spread dust over your car’s windshield and driving with such windshield won’t just stress your eyes but can pose a serious safety risk. Change worn out blades with new ones and make sure there is enough solvent in your vehicle’s windscreen washer.

Tyres & Wheels

In summer, it’s time to replace your winter tyres with all-weather or summer tyres. Also, don’t skip to check your tyres for cuts, tread depth, pressure and abnormal wearing before you hit the road.
Follow the manufacturer’s guideline for tyre pressure and tread depth. If going on long driving holiday trip, it makes sense to take a spare wheel and a jack in good condition. Also, check if the wheels are aligned perfectly, else they can cause uneven wearing. In short, get your wheels and tyres checked by an expert mechanic.

Lights

Check if all lights and LEDs in your car body are working fine. Replace any failed bulb or light immediately with a new one. It is recommended to clean lenses at a regular interval of time, more frequently in summer due to high-speed wind blowing, to remove dust and debris. Don’t use a dry rag, as it can cause smears.

What’s Next?

Top up engine oil and other fluids; check your car’s seat belts, battery performance and brakes, and don’t forget to carry an emergency kit in your car before you hit the road. Why don’t you spring clean your car from inside out? It will take out all germs, dust and debris from interior, wheels and rest of car body.
Hope this checklist will help you gear up your car for summer driving and make you return home with a bunch of pleasant memories!

The author is a motoring enthusiast. He is also a freelance content developer. In this article, he has recommended car owners to prepare their car air conditioning, tires, brakes and rest parts for summer challenges.