Logan Voss
Every new season brings with it a multitude of problems. Regardless, since it’s currently summer, you need to know some ways to keep your car running in the summer heat.
While your vehicle may seem like it’s an invincible piece of machinery, it is still susceptible to breakdowns and mechanical failures. These can often happen because the car doesn’t receive proper care, especially in the summer. Know what to do to keep your car in working order during summer and save yourself unnecessary repairs.
Always Take Care of Your Engine
Your vehicle’s engine burns fuel to create tiny explosions to propel your car forward or back, and because that happens, the engine generates a lot of heat. To mitigate the heat, your engine needs coolant to go through the system to ensure the internal temperature doesn’t rise above a certain point.
This task becomes much more challenging during the summer and requires you to be more aware of your engine’s heat. Your dashboard will typically alert you when the engine temperature gets too high, and when it does, you need to pull over immediately. If it’s a chronic problem, you may have a coolant leak or some other issues with the engine, causing it to overheat.
Be Mindful of Your Tires
Besides the engine, the other critical component to watch for is the tires. The condition of the treads can either protect or endanger you depending on the level of deterioration. And that degradation can speed up significantly during the summer due to the heated roads which are cooked by the sun all day.
When a car spends too much time on hot roads, the rubber of the tires will fail because their friction is creating heat on an already very hot surface. This will affect your car in many ways, from maneuverability to the increased potential of a blowout. There are several ways to increase handling and safety, and it starts with taking care of your tires in summer.
Find the Shade Whenever Possible
The common denominator during the summer is to avoid or mitigate the heat whenever possible, which means finding shade whether you’re driving or parked. Leaving your car to cook in the sun all day can lead to the deterioration of parts—whether they’re components critical to the car’s functionality or purely aesthetic.
The heat will degrade materials even in a sitting vehicle, weakening components for the next time you drive. The damage may take time to become apparent, but it’ll show up eventually and can compromise the safety features of your vehicle. Always find cover for your car. You could park it in a garage or under a shady tree. Every little thing you do affects your vehicle, for better or for worse. So, make sure you’re doing all you can to increase the longevity of your car during the summer.
