You might use your car regularly for work and errands. You also might have plans for one or more long road trips during the warm spring and summer months. If so, you might wonder: How can I get my car ready for spring? The answer is to do basic car maintenance for warmer weather.
Basic car maintenance for warm weather will help to ensure your car is in good running condition and should be reliable for your warm-weather travels. The following spring maintenance suggestions will help you enjoy your travels with no mechanical problems.
Check and Change Fluids
Your vehicle relies on more than gas to get you to where you need to go. Oil, coolant, and brake fluid are just a few of the important fluids that make your car reliable and safe to drive.
You should have the coolant tested to ensure it will hold through for the hot summer months. The coolant helps to keep the engine running at an optimal temperature. If it is degraded, the radiator could boil over. Flushing and filling the coolant as necessary will help to ensure reliability.
You also should check and change the oil and brake fluid as needed. Bleeding the brake lines can remove moisture that collects in the calipers and affects the brakes.
Belts and Hoses
While checking the coolant, you also should check the belts and hoses under the hood. You should look for rigid areas cracking on the hoses that connect to the radiator.
If the hoses show signs of dry rot or cracking, they might rupture while you are driving. The serpentine and alternator belts should be in good condition. If either belt is cracking at the edges, it needs to be replaced with a new one.
Check the Exhaust and AC System
You should check the exhaust system to ensure it is in good shape and is not noisy or leaking exhaust fumes. If you live in a snowy region, the winter weather can put a lot of wear and tear on the exhaust.
If the summers get hot where you live, you need air conditioning to stay comfortable while driving. You can have it checked to make sure it is holding the refrigerant and working well.
Battery and Charging System
Hot weather could cause the battery to discharge its stored power even faster. You can have the battery checked to make sure it is taking a full charge and does not need replacement. Check the charging system to make sure the alternator is charging the battery while supplying power while driving.
Maintain Brakes and Tires
A brake system check and rotating and balancing the tires also helps with your warm-weather travels. Basic car maintenance for warmer weather should include checking the tread and its depth on the tires. The tires should be rotated to even out the wear and tear during the hot summer driving season.