Our Top 8 Summer Car Maintenance Tips

As summer rolls around, protecting your car from the heat is important. Luckily, you can implement a few car maintenance tips during the summer to keep your vehicle looking sleek and running like new.

Top Off Your Car’s Fluids

Hyundai Sonata licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal by crash71100

As the season shifts from spring to summer, Trenton will undoubtedly experience temperature increases. These shifts can cause your vehicle’s engine fluid to become thinner or evaporate, leaving you with low engine fluids. Your power steering and transmission fluid can undergo similar processes, so it’s essential to top off these fluids as necessary.

You may also consider checking your coolant levels. Coolant’s main job is to prevent your vehicle from overheating, so plenty of it must be circulating in your vehicle’s coolant reservoir. Check your vehicle’s coolant levels by opening the hood and locating the coolant reservoir. Once you unscrew the cap, you can find the indicator line and see if the liquid is at an adequate level. If it isn’t, pour in the appropriate amount and screw the cap back into position.

Replace Your Windshield Wiper Blades if Necessary

If your windshield wipers spent the winter working hard to wipe away snow, they might need a change. Experts usually recommend that vehicle owners change their windshield wiper blades every 6 to 12 months so that you might be due for a replacement. Maintaining visibility is always important when you drive, and summer’s unique conditions may hinder it.

For example, the sun’s glare or the pollen summer brings can obstruct your vision. This means it’s important that your windshield wiper blades are fully functional. The summer also brings plenty of rain, so you’ll need good windshield wipers to clear rain and provide a clear view of the road in any weather conditions.

Clean Your Vehicle Every Two Weeks

It’s good practice to wash your vehicle every two weeks, but this is especially true once it starts to heat up outside. You can use a detergent and sponge specifically meant for use with cars to wash away insects, pollen, and bird droppings. This can protect your car’s paint and minimize the effects the sun can have on exterior damage. After each wash, you may also consider waxing your vehicle’s exterior to offer additional paint protection.

While cleaning your vehicle’s exterior is important, giving equal attention to the interior is essential. You can try to remove all trash, including food and plastic wrappers, from your vehicle every time you get out of it. If you leave this trash behind, plastics may melt, and food may rot under the sun’s intense rays, which can leave you with some costly interior damage to address. Avoid this hassle by keeping up with your vehicle’s interior maintenance.

Park Your Car in the Shade

Try to park your car in the shade whenever possible. This practice can protect your car’s paint from sun damage, and it can prevent your car’s interior leather seats, steering wheel, dashboard, and other components from overheating and sustaining cracks. If you have a garage at home, park your car there instead of relying on a tree’s shade. While a tree’s shade may protect you from the heat, your car’s paint may sustain exterior damage due to falling branches and leaves.

Whenever you’re out in public, try to find shaded parking areas. You may benefit from parking your vehicle in a parking garage or underneath a large awning. You may use a heat-reflective sheet on your dashboard when finding a shaded parking area is impossible, as this product can protect your car’s dashboard and other interior components from the sun’s rays.

Understand How to Keep Your Engine Cool

Your car has a cooling system that consists of a water pump, radiator, thermostat, coolant, and hoses to keep your engine cool. However, it may fail if it’s working in extreme temperatures. If your temperature gauge alerts you of a high temperature while driving your vehicle, it’s important to respond appropriately. Pull over as soon as it’s safe to do so, put the car in park, and turn off the engine.

Allow the car to cool off for at least 10 minutes, and open the car’s hood to let the heat escape. After letting the car cool off, you can turn the ignition to its first position. Start the engine only if the temperature gauge displays a normal temperature. If it doesn’t, call for roadside assistance and have them take your vehicle in for an inspection.

Test Your Brakes

After a long winter keeping you safe on icy roads, your brakes may need repairs or replacement. Take some time to assess your brake’s performance for making efficient, safe stops. You can also observe if your brakes tend to pull or lean toward one side when applying them. If you notice brake pulling, inefficient stopping, or unusual sounds, you may need to invest in new brakes.

If you aren’t confident with your ability to check your vehicle’s brakes for adequate performance, take it to the service center at Hyundai of Trenton. Our experts will perform thorough testing to ensure your brakes are in working condition and are safe for regular use.

Change Your Air Filters

It’s important to clean your car’s air filters regularly. They prevent pollen and other allergen-inducing particles from entering your vehicle’s vents. They also ensure that your vehicle’s air conditioning system works properly and circulates cold air. Changing your car’s air filters every 12,000 to 15,000 miles or every year is standard practice. However, you may check your vehicle’s instruction manual for your manufacturer’s specific recommendation.

Check Your Tires’ Air Pressure

Cold weather can cause your tires’ air pressure to drop, so you may need to fill up your tires before you hit the highway for a long road trip this summer. Most cars have an ideal tire pressure range between 30 and 35 PSI, but you can check your manual for the exact number. This maintenance tip only takes a few minutes to complete at a gas station, and it can prevent you from experiencing an untimely flat tire.

Contact Hyundai of Trenton in Ewing Township, NJ

Do you have any go-to car maintenance tips that you swear by during the summer? Feel free to contact our team and let us know what they are. You can also stop by our dealership to browse our inventory of new Hyundai vehicles so that you can have a reliable car for all your summer adventures. If you would rather purchase a used vehicle, we also have plenty of options to satisfy your driving needs.