Top Summer Vehicle Maintenance Tips

Delaying regularly scheduled vehicle maintenance saves you money; however, most people do it. In high excitement to get on the open road, many people do not take the time necessary to ensure their vehicle is ready for the open road. The following often occurs: your coolant level needs changing, your oil needs replacing, or you have an oil leak. By doing so in this manner, you put yourself and your vehicle at risk for costly, in-depth repairs, and possible damage to your vehicle.

Make Your Own Check List When beginning vehicle maintenance, make a list of all the things that need attention. This list should include such items as your brake fluid, transmission fluid, tires, engine, and transmission fluid, spark plug and carburetor fluid, brake pads and discs, and your windshield. Tires should be inspected twice each year, and your engine and transmission fluid should be checked and changed, every 6k miles, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you have an automatic transmission, you will need to replace your brake fluid every month, according to your manufacturer’s recommendations.

Almost Everyone Makes Mistakes While everyone knows it, very few people make certain that they are actually doing the proper things when it comes to vehicle maintenance. One of the most common mistakes that people make when it comes to vehicle maintenance is not checking the fluids in their car prior to going out on a long trip. If you are using expensive, synthetic lubricants or fluids when driving, you could put yourself at risk for an engine failure. This mistake is almost always made by young inexperienced drivers and often leads to costly repair bills.

Do Your Research Believe it or not, the type of tire you choose can play a role in saving you money on vehicle maintenance. Some vehicles, such as trucks, must be driven with a flat, dry tire to prevent the tires from bouncing across the road during a sudden stop. Other vehicles, such as cars, must be driven with a wet one to prevent the tires from absorbing moisture that causes them to bounce. Wet tires will wear quicker and are harder to stop if they do start bouncing. To save on tire replacement, make sure that you do your research so that you get the right type of tire for your needs.

Tip-Top Shape Tips Another key element to making sure your vehicle performs well is to do regular tune-ups. tune-ups don’t cost very much money, and they don’t take that long, but they do keep your vehicle performing at its best. If you neglect to change the oil in your vehicle every couple of thousand miles, chances are your car will be in trouble before it’s time. If you have an automatic transmission, you need to change the transmission fluid every 1 million miles, or about twice a year. This is another way to save money and get your vehicle in the best possible shape.

Inspect Your brakes, including the brake pads and rotors, regularly. If you don’t inspect these components, you could end up having to pay for brake repair or even replacement. You will also want to check the hoses, lines, brakes,  fuel injection, and everything else under the hood regularly to ensure that your vehicle is running correctly and thoroughly. These tips for the summer season are specially for the fast summertime, when you need to get your car in shape, but don’t want to spend a lot of time or money doing so.

The main culprits for damage to your vehicle, aside from high speeds and road debris, include extreme temperature shifts, salt water exposure, and mechanical damage. There are a number of different ways to protect your vehicle from these potential hazards, depending upon where you live. Extreme temperatures and weather conditions can present a challenge to your vehicle’s cooling system, and if you live in a region that experiences extreme heat regularly, you should consider investing in a vehicle cooler for the summer. While keeping your engine cool will keep the engine from suffering damage, it will also prevent the metal parts of your radiator hoses from cracking, and it will prevent metal shavings from accumulating on your engine’s parts. Vehicle coolers are a great way to avoid potentially harmful wear-and-tear issues that could potentially damage your vehicle.

Your brake pads and rotors are especially vulnerable to heat during the summer months. Although it might seem tempting to purchase a cheaper, less reliable braking system, it is better to buy quality rotors and brake pads than to risk buying a cheaper, less effective braking system. In order to save money on your vehicle’s cooling system, you should make sure that your vehicle’s windshield is properly maintained. When your windshield becomes cracked or chipped, you run the risk of having rock chips deposit on your windshield, which could lead to breakage, loss of consciousness, and even death if the chipping occurs while you are driving at high speeds. You can avoid all of these potential accidents by keeping your vehicle’s windscreen clean at all times.