Summer is here and you might be planning to hit the road. Before getting ready for your summer trip, make sure that your car is ready too.
A pre-trip auto check is essential to lessen the chances of mechanical failures. Here is a checklist to check your car before you embark on the journey.
Check the Coolant Levels
One of the most common problems in summers is overheating. You should flush and refill the cooling system after every 24 months. However, it’s good to have it checked by a professional technician to examine the levels as well as its condition periodically to ensure optimal health of your car.
Check the Air Conditioning System
A poorly maintained air conditioning system may fail to work in hot weather. Turn it on to see if is producing any strange sounds or odor. If you notice any of these, it may be a sign that the system needs cleaning, recharging, or leak fixing. Have it checked by a qualified technician, especially if you haven’t used the air conditioning system lately.
Check the Tires
If your vehicle has winter tires, you need to replace them with summer or all-season tires to make them fit for the hot and rugged summer trip. Besides this, check the air pressure in your tires. Make sure that they are properly inflated before driving for any distance. Proper inflation is important to create a good contact between the tires and road as well as to avoid overheating.
In addition to this, you may also want to check your spare tire for uneven wearing, uneven tread wear, and cuts and nicks. Any of these may warrant the alignment causing threat to your safety on the road.
Check the Fluids
Check the oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and windshield washer fluid. Top them off if any of them seem lesser than the optimal levels. If you are going on a long trip, it’s best to get an extra bottle of each, in case you need them and there is no service station nearby.
Check the Wiper Blade and Fluid
Visibility is extremely important, especially when traveling on the highway. If you use wiper to de-ice the windshield in the winter, there are chances your wiper may not be in the perfect condition. It’s better to replace them, especially when summer storms are expected.
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