How To Properly Prepare Your Car For Summer

The changing of seasons brings with it the need to adjust and make necessary preparations. Just as we take the time to change our wardrobe, store stuff we will not use and get out things we will need, prepare our homes etc. so we must make sure our vehicles are ready for the season coming up. In this blog post we describe for you the things you need to do in order to ensure that your vehicle is ready for summer.

Safety Matters
Of the things we must do in order to prepare our car for summer there are those which have to do with safety and then there are others which have to do with comfort. Naturally, it is extremely important to take care of all safety matters first.
One of the most important things you should do before the hot season hits is to check the state of your car’s tires. Make sure that they are under four years old (manufacturing date appears on the side of the tire, have a mechanic help you find it if you have trouble finding it), then make sure they show no signs of cracks or any other deformity. Make sure to keep tires inflated to the proper pressure (as stated in the car’s manual).

Next on the safety agenda is the breaking system. There should be no leaks and the brakes should have been services as per the car’s manufacturer’s instructions. If there is any doubt have a mechanic check the brakes out for you.

The steering system is also something you should check. There should be no leaks of power steering hydraulic fluid, the steering wheel should turn easily and there should be no strange noises.

The engine’s cooling system will naturally work harder in summer so make sure there are no leaks and the coolant level is as it should be.

Comfort
In order to have your vehicle serve you well in summer it is important that the air conditioning system works well, so check it out before it gets really hot outside.

Cars’ batteries tend to die out as seasons change from hot to cold and vise versa. If your car’s battery is getting old (over three years) or if there are any signs indicating it may be close to the end of its life, have the battery replaced.

Other things you should do is to store some summer gear in your car, a hat, spare sunglasses and suntan lotion. It is also a good idea to keep some drinking water in your car.
If you know that you will need to park your car where there is no shade you should consider buying a car cover.

A word of warning, temperatures inside parked cars in the summer may rise to above 200 degrees Celsius, it is very dangerous to leave a child unattended in a car and you should not leave a pet to wait for you in a parked car during the summer.