After months of dreary weather for many across the United States, summer is finally here and with it comes an increased interest in traveling to enjoy the great outdoors and time with family and friends! AAA found that this past Memorial Day Weekend saw the highest number of travelers since 2005, with over 34.6 million Americans driving to their destinations.
Before you hit the road and embark on a long road trip or quick day adventure to the beach, remember that the sudden jump in temperature can have damaging effects on your vehicle. We spoke to Richard Reina, product training director at CARiD.com and he provided the following preventative maintenance tips to ensure your car is ready to safely make summer memories.
Focus on the details of car cleaning.
Winter is known to be an exceptionally hazardous time for the exterior of your vehicle, especially for those who live in areas ravaged by snow or ice. It has been found that U.S. consumers pay upwards of $3 billion a year to repair extensive rust damage caused by road de-icing chemicals. Rust can cause significant and dangerous damage to safety components of your vehicle (i.e. the brakes) so now is the time to be vigilant and check for any issues.
Take time to carefully get all the possible winter sludge off of your car to prevent any further damage. Pay special attention to the underside of your vehicle with a heavy scrub to knock free any remaining salt and chemicals. Also, it may be beneficial to invest in undercoating spray that can be used to touch up the bottom of your car and rust-proof it for future use.
After all of this cleaning, don’t forget about the interior of your vehicle - floor mats take a beating from all of the snow and mud brought in during the colder months.
Those who take ultimate care of their interiors have a “winter set” and a “summer set” of floor mats. The winter mats are floor liners which can tolerate the salt and slush, while the summer mats avoid that, while still protecting the vehicle’s carpeting.
Take care of your tires.
As temperatures heat up your tires are especially vulnerable the more time they spend on the hot pavement. The heat combined with the beating sun can deteriorate the rubber and tread of your tires quickly. Invest in summer tires, which are designed to have maximum road-holding grip and feature shallower tread that leads to more stability on the road.
Warmer temperatures can also negatively impact air pressure of your tires. Be sure to check air pressure frequently and don’t forget to also check the pressure in the spare! Lastly, check in on the age of your tires to get a better idea of when you may need to change them out. All tires have a four-digit code that details the year and week they were manufactured. The tire industry recommends replacing tires regardless of remaining tread depth once they are over six years old.
Check coolant and fluids.
Another important maintenance task for summer includes checking on your coolant and fluid levels. Topping off your coolant levels is especially important as antifreeze is used to prevent the engine from overheating and causing a potential breakdown. If you plan to skip the mechanic and do this yourself, use a 50/50 mixture of coolant and distilled water. Also take the time to check the fluids impacting your transmission, brakes and power steering to be sure your car can safely hit the road.
Pay attention to brake maintenance.
The efficient functioning of your brakes cannot be overlooked as any issues could be deadly. Your pads and rotors absorb heat from the friction created while braking and can easily wear down, especially if you store your vehicle outside where it can be exposed to extreme heat. Take the time to check both brake pads and rotors to see if they are below the minimum thickness suggested. It’s recommended that brake pads should be replaced with 1 to 2 mm of pad thickness remaining. It’s also beneficial to weigh your options with high performance brakes, which won’t break the bank and provide rotors that are slotted for better cooling.
While many manufacturers have begun to stray away from recommending that consumers replace their brake fluids, this should be done every three years and is an easy DIY project to ensure you are moving up to a better quality fluid.
Address faded/clouded headlights.
Exposure to the sun can break down the outer layer of your headlights, which in turn leads to a cloudiness that can affect the quality of light coming out when you need it most. With more people on the road this summer making sure you have clean headlights is essential to driver safety, especially in bad weather or at night.
There are many ways that you can perform a DIY clean of your headlights, such as a cordless drill with a polishing ball, but these are usually short-term fixes to the bigger problem. Instead, replace your headlight with new headlamp assemblies. You get to start fresh with clear lenses, upgraded blubs, and built-in daytime running lamps. Studies have shown that driving with daytime running lights can reduce dangerous front-end collisions. One such study found that from 1995 to 2002 vehicles in Minnesota that had DRLs were associated with significantly lower crash rates compared to those vehicles without DRLs.
Follow these tips and your car will be ready all summer long for new adventures, as well as prepped for the seasons ahead!