Car Maintenance Tips for Safe Summer Travel
Summer is a time for a lot of things. It is an opportunity to spend time with family in frolicking under the sun or a perfect time to travel and plan the perfect getaway or road trip.
With lots of plans for the coming summer holiday, most car owners forget to do an annual, change of season maintenance to their vehicle. So before you head out to plan the best summer trip of a lifetime, be sure to do preventive maintenance to your car.
Tips for Summer Car Maintenance for Safe Travel
The summer heat can bring the same level of harm to your car as the winter cold. Sometimes, the heat can even cause more harm due to lots of factors, so preventive maintenance to your vehicle is strongly suggested to avoid spending a lot of money.
- No matter what the season is, be sure always to check and change the fluids of your car regularly. This means your oil, antifreeze, power steering and wiper fluid for some. Your vehicle’s oil is the fluid that needs to be check regularly. It is important to change it, or know how to, every three months or 3,000 miles or whichever comes first. The heat can contribute to burning engine oil much faster than in normal weather condition so be very cautious.
- Since it is going to be hot during the summer, expect your engine to have a hard time maintaining its safe level temperature, thanks to coolant or antifreeze liquid, your engine can face different weather condition and keep your engine in the safe level to function well. Be sure to check your coolant fluid and invest in the best one available.
- It is also a good tip to get an octane booster to save on fuel. Not only does this would reduce your carbon emission, it will also give you fuel efficiency. You don’t want to contribute to the global warming by excessive carbon omission.
- Check your battery. Heat can make battery fluid to evaporate that might cause corrosion to your battery making it function less so remember always to check it and if you have a battery car charger available, bring it with you on your family road trip.
- Before leaving, test your car’s AC. Turn on your car’s AC and check if it’s strong or weak. Have it running for a few minutes to check its condition. If you feel like it’s weak, consider having it checked immediately, as it needs Freon. Don’t risk running a weak AC through a warm weather; this might cause your engine to fail too.
- Remember to check your airbags before leaving. Locked airbags will not go off even if triggered by a crash as what a study shows. Debunk any myths that say it can go off even if its lock. So just to be safe, unlock your airbags if going for a long travel.
- Always do a maintenance check on your seatbelts. Test them if they can easily be fastened and unfasten. Sometimes liquids are spilled on the seatbelts that might cause it to rust making it hard to unbuckle. This is a must do if you’re travelling with infants or toddlers, place their car seat face-rearing as it is safer as suggested. You can also check some other guidelines on how to safely put your baby’s car seat.
Remember that during this summer trip, nothing would come as close to the top priority than your family’s safety on the road. A well-maintained car will sure to give you comfort and ease that you are going to travel smoothly in your much-awaited summer vacation.
Author Bio: Anthony is a Home Improvement DIYer, who is interested in different projects of Home Improvement. He blogs at Equipment Area, where he shares tips, guides and reviews of different tools around the house.
Therese has completed the ‘Advanced Child Car Seat Training Course’ at TRL (Transport Research Lab) and is a CPD accredited car seat expert. She blogs about in-car safety, car seats, tips, reviews, giveaways and advice. She’s a mum on a mission to change the law and raise awareness. She is also a breastfeeding advocate and gentle parenting promoter who loves cloth nappies, baby-wearing, BLW and co-sleeping/bed-sharing.