Suggestions On Getting Your Car Ready For Summer Travel
Spring is the right time to get your car ready for the hectic summer driving season ahead. It's sensible to have your vehicle tested before summer's heavy vacation traffic and stop-and-go situation begin earnestly.
The professionals at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence recommend the guidelines below on getting your vehicle ready:
* Look at the owner's manual and keep up to the suggested service schedules. Be careful on "regular" vs. "severe" schedules proposed, and determine which is appropriate for your driving conditions and routine.
* Seek a systematic repair facility with modern equipment in the service bays and qualified automotive technicians being workers, as shown by trade school diplomas, credentials of advanced course work and training, and national certification of the individual technicians by ASE.
* Wash out and fill up the cooling system (radiator) as indicated in the service manual's recommendations. The level, condition and concentration of the coolant should be checked regularly. Make sure the engine has cooled down before removing the radiator cap. Engine overheating is the most common summer breakdown.
* Have engine performance conditions corrected, such as hard starts, tough idling and stalling. You'll get improved gasoline mileage, and you could put off more costly repairs.
* Don't ignore your transmission and brakes. Costly repairs can be avoided by regular service. Neglected brakes can create safety issues, too.
* Find out an experienced auto technician to verify the condition of belts, clamps and hoses, but be preventive by looking for signs of wear, cracking or fraying.
* Have a marginally running air conditioner system serviced by a technician qualified to deal with refrigerants. Older units often contain ozone-depleting substances that could be released into the air through improper or incompetent service.
* Change the oil and oil filter as specified in the owner's manual. This simple, inexpensive service can increase the life of your vehicle.
* Change other filters (air, fuel, PCV) as suggested in the service manual.
* Verify the condition of tires, including the spare. Let the tires "cool down" before checking their pressure. Bumpy wear, "cupping", vibrations or "pulling" to one side implies problems with your tires or suspension system.
* Exchange your headlights with some good aftermarket headlights. Good custom headlights or even just a nice new set of H11 bulbs for your normal lights will make a massive difference when you're traveling at night. Very rarely do you realize how weak your headlights are until you upgrade. It is likely that the winter road grim has spoiled your lenses to the point where they actually need to be replaced.
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