Oklahoma summer is upon us and if the current temperatures are any indication, we’re in for a hot and humid summer. While you may be concerned about keeping your house cool, you should also take care of your car because you spend time every day in it. Cars get impacted by summer heat, which affects the driving experience and can lead to more rapid depreciation of the value of the car. In this article, we’ll look at ways to keep your car in top shape this summer.

Air Conditioning System

The first and most obvious part of the car is the air conditioning because this is the most used system to keep us cool inside the car. Don’t wait for your air conditioning to stop working for you to have it looked at because it may be too late for simple fixes. Becuase of much use, the AC system may develop leaks, dirt or dust that can clog the system or make it ineffective. The compressor oil of the system may be low and in need of topping up to keep the whole system lubricated.

Air conditioning takes time to kick in when you first enter the car. This is because the temperature inside the car is usually much higher than that outside the car. A good tip is to lower the windows for a few minutes as you wait for the AC to start pumping cool air.

Car Tires

Car tires are the most neglected parts of the car when it comes to performance however, in summer, tires can impact your driving quite a bit. The first thing is to check that your tires have enough pressure. Too much heat on tires without enough pressure lead to excessive tearing. Worn tire treads also mean that much of the tire surface is in contact with the road and this would lead to overheating of the tires and possibly busting.

Battery Health

Summer heat puts a lot of pressure on the car battery because the battery fluid evaporates making it hard for the battery to perform its function. The first thing you’ll need to do is to get the battery checked to see if it’s charging at the correct rate. If the battery needs replacing then this is a good time to do that. If the battery does not need changing, you may want to check the terminals to make sure there’s no corrosion on them that could affect the battery’s performance.

Engine & Coolant

Summer heat makes the engine work extra hard. It’s very important that the various engine lubricants are topped up because this will help keep the car lubricated in order to perform well. Stop by a reputable auto repair shop near you and have them check your engine oil and fluids to make sure they’re topped up.  Over time the engine oil becomes depleted, especially in conditions of extreme temperatures and so it becomes necessary to flush the system and replace with new oil.

Hoses & Belts

Summer heat causes hoses and belts to expand much more than optimum and this could impact the performance of your car. When expanded old hoses can develop cracks which could lead to leakage. Have your hoses and belts checked for possible wear and tear as this could pose a problem sooner rather than later.

Conclusion

While we can’t do anything about the temperature this summer, we can take measures to ensure our cars are safe this summer. A well-conditioned car will save you from major repairs that will inevitably be needed if the car is not maintained. At Davis Paint & Collision Auto Repair we help Oklahoma drivers maintain their cars by providing auto repair services along with collision repairs and paintless dent repair. Call one of our locations and we’ll be happy to assist you. We’re a certified collision shop and we’ll help you as we’ve done for hundreds of other car owners. Call our Oklahoma City location (405) 733-9797 or Midwest City location (405) 732-0762.