A lot of traveling is done in the summertime. However, before you hit the road for that vacation you have been planning all year, check out this list of maintenance tips for your car.
–Keep an eye on your tires. Having a car that is under or over inflated can be very dangerous in the summertime, where the air pressure is different.
–Change your oil and oil filter. It cannot be stressed enough that your oil and oil filters need to be changed regularly and will do wonders for the performance of your car. The rule of thumb is ever 3,000 miles or so. The mileage can depend on how new (or old) your car is.
–Check on the hoses and belts. There are hoses connected to your radiator and engine block, which you will want in perfect order to keep cool. They can both be checked visually for cracks and other damage.
Check your air filter. It is easy for your filters to get clogged over the winter, so it is important to take a look and see what damage was done during the colder seasons.
–Replace your windshield wipers. Summertime can bring about many thunderstorms, so you will want to make sure that your wipers are working. It is best to replace the whole blade and not just individual parts.
–Have your brakes inspected. This is one of the biggest safety features of your car, so it is important to make sure they are in excellent condition if you are going on a long road trip.
–It gets hot in the summer, so make sure your coolant and radiator are where they need to be.
It is far better to proactively check these elements of your car’s performance, than to suddenly be stranded on the side of the road. To make sure that the kids don’t have to keep asking “Are we there yet?!” go over this check list and know that your car is safe and reliable.
