It’s extra-important to maintain your car during summer, as the warmer months see most of us looking forward to holidays and day trips. We travel longer distances – often in high temperatures – at this time of year, and a fault or breakdown can mean the difference between enjoying your dream vacation and ending up stranded at home.
Luckily, the experts at Dronsfields have compiled a handy summer car maintenance checklist for you to use when deciding how best to care for your car during summer.
Read on to find out which of your vehicle’s features will be worst affected by the change in weather conditions, and how to ensure that your car runs smoothly and safely throughout.
Air Conditioning and Fans
It may be one of the most obvious essential summer car care tips on our list, but it’s surprising how many people forget to check and maintain their air conditioning system before taking a summer road trip.
Being stuck in a traffic jam in sweltering heat with your entire family in the car is definitely not an ideal situation. People often only switch on their air con in hotter months, when in truth, it should be used far more regularly in order to keep the washers and seals lubricated and to prevent leaks. You should get your system seen to at least once every two years.
Your fans are driven by a drive belt in your engine, so it’s definitely worth getting this checked too, to ensure you and your passengers can keep as cool as possible.
Battery
Not many people are aware that car battery electrolytes can be very negatively affected by heat. The life of a car battery can be heavily reduced if it is not sealed properly, so you need to make sure that yours is in great condition and remains well topped-up.
Coolant and Other Fluids
Engine coolant absorbs heat from your engine, and in doing so helps to prevent overheating. This can be vital under the summer sun, so keeping your coolant topped up is among our very top summer car maintenance tips. While you’re at it, you should also check your oil levels and brake, clutch and power steering fluids too, before you head off on a road trip.
Tyres
Hot air in your tyres expands, meaning the pressure inside increases – meaning punctures and blow outs are more likely. It will increase the risk of wear and tear too, so it’s definitely best to check your tyre pressure and tread depth as the weather gets hotter.
Visibility
It’s easy to neglect this aspect when working to maintain your car during summer, but dust, insects and other debris can collect on your windscreen and cause serious issues in terms of visibility, particularly when the sun is glaring low in the sky.
You need to make sure that your wiper fluid is regularly topped up, and that the wipers themselves glide properly across the screen, as this can prove to be an extremely dangerous problem if you’re struggling to see on a busy motorway or on a winding country road.
Air Filters
Dust, dirt and dead insects can also clog up the air filter and restrict your engine’s ventilation. This may lead to overheating, so, as one of our most important summer care maintenance tips, we recommend that you get it checked as regularly as possible, and change it if necessary.
Paintwork
The last element on our summer car maintenance checklist may be only cosmetic, but it’s worth remembering. Roads can be dusty and heavily used in summer, and because the light sticks around for longer and it’s easier to find a stretch of good weather, a lot of road maintenance is undertaken during this time.
As a result, you’re more likely to be driving through debris that may chip or dirty your car – so it may be worth cleaning your car a little more regularly and perhaps investing in a new lick of paint when autumn arrives.
This summer car maintenance checklist highlights the parts of your car that are the most vulnerable to damage caused by summer heat and dusty conditions. Generally speaking, these are the:
- – Engine
- – Tyres
- – Ventilation and cooling systems
- – Battery
If you do nothing else, give these elements a check over before you head out for your holidays. Following these essential car care tips will make all the difference when you’re planning the best holiday season ever!