Preparing Your Car for the Summer

It is time to prepare your car for the summer heat. If you follow proper maintenance procedures on your vehicle it will help you prepare your car for the summer but that maintenance should take place before the summer heat hits. After a long winter your car will need some basic care done to effectively prepare your car for the summer, such as an oil change and a fluid check for antifreeze. If you are planning to drive to your summer vacation spots, you definitely should prepare your car for the summer, which includes tire pressure, brakes, and fluid levels. Most people think that winter is tougher on cars but the summer can be just as tough on your car. Cars that are not properly prepared for the summer often overheat as soon as the temperature rises to 90 or 100 degrees.

Wet and icy conditions mean more braking and stopping then usual and the wear and tear on your tires and brakes reflect that. When summer rolls around the brakes and tires need to be checked to make sure they are working properly. Air conditioning is another consideration with the coming of summer months. Part of preparing you car for summer is to address issues and concerns that may affect your summer travel during the winter months. Have your mechanic check your Freon levels at the onset of weather changes. Keeping your levels from running out completely ensures that you don’t have to do more then just basic maintenance on your unit.

Unfortunately, air conditioning units seem to stop working when you most need it but people don’t think about air during the winter months only when it’s hot outside. Many motorists don’t consider air conditioning as part of getting your car ready for summer, in fact, they don’t realize that the air conditioning unit needs anything until they turn it on when they need it and it doesn’t work. That can be frustrating and expensive. Servicing air conditioning units in cars can be very expensive, especially if the unit goes out or even if the unit is low on freon. One more thing to consider when preparing your car for the summer if you have leather seats is to buy coverings for the seats. Leather tends to make your car feel hotter than it does outside and seating on those bare leather seats can literally be a scorcher. The seat coverings also help during the winter months as well.

So, when is the best time to prepare your car for the summer? During the spring months when the weather is not very warm and winter is over. Remember, preparing your car for the summer can eliminate costly repairs and frustration guarantee to save you some grief in the middle of those hotter months of the season.