Tips For Getting Your Car Ready For Summer Trip
Spring is the ideal time to get your car ready for the active summer driving season ahead. It's sensible to have your vehicle inspected before summer's intense vacation traffic and stop-and-go situation begin earnestly.
The professionals at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence suggest the guidelines below on getting your vehicle ready:
* Look at the owner's manual and follow the recommended service schedules. Watch out "regular" vs. "severe" schedules planned, and find out which is appropriate for your driving conditions and routine.
* Seek a methodical repair facility with current equipment in the service bays and qualified automotive technicians being workers, as demonstrated by trade school qualifications, credentials of advanced course work and training, as well as national certification of the individual technicians by ASE.
* Wash out and refill the cooling system (radiator) according to the service manual's recommendations. The level, condition and strength of the coolant should be checked regularly. Make sure the engine has cooled down before taking off the radiator cap. Engine overheating is the most common summer breakdown.
* Have engine performance problems corrected, such as hard starts, rough idling and stalling. You'll get better gasoline mileage, and you could avert more expensive repairs.
* Don't ignore your transmission and brakes. Expensive repairs can be avoided by regular service. Neglected brakes can give rise to safety issues, too.
* Look for a qualified auto technician to check the condition of belts, clamps and hoses, but be proactive by looking for signs of deterioration.
* Have a marginally running air conditioner system checked by a technician qualified to deal with refrigerants. Older units often contain ozone-depleting compounds that could be released into the air because of irregular or incompetent service.
* Change the oil and oil filter as detailed in the owner's manual. This straightforward, inexpensive service can add to the life of your vehicle.
* Change other filters (air, fuel, PCV) as recommended in the service manual.
* Verify the condition of tires, including the spare. Let the tires "cool down" prior to checking their pressure. Uneven wear, "cupping", vibrations or "pulling" to one side indicates difficulties with your tires or suspension system.
* Replace your headlights with some good aftermarket headlights. Good custom headlights or even just a nice new series of H11 bulbs for your standard lights will make a massive difference when you're traveling at night. Hardly ever do you realize how weak your headlights are until you upgrade. Chances are the winter road grim has ruined your lenses to the point where they actually need to be replaced.
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