Guidelines On Planning Your Car For Summer Travel
Spring is the right time to get your vehicle ready for the hectic summer driving season ahead. It's advisable to have your vehicle tested before summer's extreme vacation traffic and stop-and-go conditions begin earnestly.
The specialists at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence offer the guidelines below on getting your vehicle ready:
* Read the owner's manual and follow the recommended service schedules. Watch out "regular" vs. "severe" schedules listed, and find out which is right for your driving conditions and practice.
* Seek a methodical repair facility with recent equipment in the service bays and certified automotive technicians being workers, as evidenced by trade school qualifications, certificates of advanced course work and training, plus national certification of the individual technicians by ASE.
* Flush and replenish the cooling system (radiator) as stated in the service manual's recommendations. The level, state and strength of the coolant should be checked periodically. Make sure the engine has cooled down before detaching the radiator cap. Engine overheating is the most common summer breakdown.
* Have engine performance problems rectified, such as hard starts, harsh idling and stalling. You'll get improved gasoline mileage, and you could put off more expensive repairs.
* Don't ignore your transmission and brakes. Expensive repairs can be prevented by periodic service. Neglected brakes can create safety issues, too.
* Look for a skilled auto technician to verify the condition of belts, clamps and hoses, but be precautionary by looking for signs of deterioration.
* 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 inappropriate or incompetent service.
* Change the oil and oil filter as detailed in the owner's manual. This easy, inexpensive service can increase the life of your vehicle.
* Replace other filters (air, fuel, PCV) as recommended in the service manual.
* Inspect the condition of tires, including the spare. Let the tires "cool down" prior to checking their pressure. Bumpy wear, "cupping", vibrations or "pulling" to one side indicates difficulties 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 standard lights will make a huge difference when you're traveling at night. Very rarely do you realize how dim your headlights are until you upgrade. It is likely that the winter road grim has damaged your lenses to the point where they actually need to be replaced.
