How To Prepare Your Car For Summer Vacation?

Switch Your Tires : In summer many complain about tire blowout risk. To prevent such accidents, check the tire for wear, uneven wear, age cracks or damage. Check the inflation pressure in all the tiers, including the spare, as underinflated tires makes the tires run hot and increases the risk of a blowout.

Make sure to change the winter tires as they are good only in sub-zero conditions. These tires are significantly softer than all season tires, the hot pavement will wear them down prematurely. Summer or all-season tires should be used when temperatures get in the 12C to 15C range or higher.

Shield the paint : To shield the paint from the ultraviolet rays and summer smog in urban areas, wax the body of the car or spray it with some type of protectant to help.

Check your AC: Summer and air conditioner are commutable words these day. A long drive in summer without an A/C is just an impossible ride. So, make sure the A/C is working properly. If the A/C is not blowing cold air, the refrigerant charge may be low. The system should be checked for leaks before adding refrigerant.

The Coolant : Make sure to check the level and strength of the coolant as a low coolant level may allow your engine to overheat. If low, experts suggest to add 50/50 mixture of the specified coolant and water. Never pour in water straight into the radiator. Water does cool better than antifreeze, but antifreeze is required to raise the boiling temperature of the coolant and to protect against corrision.

Batteries : Research states that hot weather is harder on batteries than cold weather, as the summer heat increases the rate of evaporation of the liquid electroyte inside the battery.

Keep the car cool : Its is very important to keep the interior of the car cool during summer. So, make sure to buy a sunroof sun shade for the windshield to reflect light so the interior doesn't get so hot if the vehicle is parked in direct sunlight. This will lighten the cooling load on the air conditioner when the vehicle is first started, and prevent you from burning yourself on hot interior surfaces.

Oil : As always, your car's oil is of the utmost importance. Replace old dirty oil with fresh synthetic motor oils to increase the lubrication protection of the engine in summer.

Your emergency kit : Make sure to pack in your emergency kit that includes water, jumper cables, flares, a flashlight, equipment to change a tire, and a first aid kit