Just like many other important assets in life, your car can be affected by seasonal changes. This is even truer for summer. Summertime comes with hotter weather, which in turn, increases the heat produced in a car while driving. Not only can this cause trouble to the engine, excessive heat can also negatively impact other automotive systems within your car. Furthermore, heat is not the only threat to your vehicle in the summer. So, be sure to stay on top of car care this season in order to prevent untimely automotive replacements, breakdowns, hassles, and more.

Continue reading to learn what you need to know about summer car care, and what to do if car problems arise on the road unexpectedly.

Summer Car Care Tips

When your care is well-cared for throughout the summer, you can expect enhanced performance, efficiency, dependability, and even visual appeal. That’s right; your car can look better when you take care of it properly! Before you begin your new summer car maintenance plan, be sure to refer to your owners’ manual for advice that is customized to your particular make and model vehicle.

Once you have an idea of what your car’s unique needs are, use these additional tips for summertime automotive care:

☼ Keep Your Car Cool

As mentioned, heat is a threat to your car engine. It is important to maintain the heat production of your engine with routine cleaning, flushes, and fluid changes. Keep your coolant topped off, and avoid idling or driving for long periods of time during the hottest parts of the day. Also, try to park in shade, or purchase a windshield cover to block out sunlight.

☼ Refill Your Fluids

Not only should you make sure your coolant stays topped off this summer, it is also important that you maintain optimal levels of all other vital automotive fluids, including the motor oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, battery fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. When your fluids are fresh and filled, your systems remain lubricated and your car performs better.

☼ Mind Your Tire Pressure

Many drivers do not realize that tires lose pressure in the summer as a result of dry climate and hot weather. In addition to keeping your car tires properly inflated, you need to also ensure that your tires are properly aligned and balanced. Factory scheduled maintenance covers this service, which should be implemented at least once per year.

☼ Protect Your Car Battery

Heat can cause damage to a car battery, causing it to lose power faster and ultimately fail. In the summer, be sure you are keeping your battery fluid topped off, as mentioned earlier, but also clean it to increase battery life. If your car battery is older than three years, or your ignition makes grinding sounds when you turn it on, you may need to replace it entirely.