Windshield Time

Summer Maintenance Tips
Begin your summer prepared. Extreme heat and long drives can be tough on cars, according to howstuffworks.com. Cracked hoses, leaky radiators, underinflated tires and dirty filters can significantly lower a car’s fuel efficiency, or worse, lead to a total breakdown. To avoid this, drivers should:

• Check the tires.According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), only one out of 10 drivers correctly check his or her car’s tire pressure. However, under-inflated, over-inflated, worn down or misaligned tires can be extremely dangerous, particularly in hot summer weather. Tire pressure changes with the rising temperatures – reportedly by as much as one to two PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10-degree increase in outside air temperature. An under-inflated tire bulges outward, placing pressure on the sidewalls of the tire. With enough heat and pressure, it eventually will blow. An over-inflated tire, on the other hand, makes less contact with the road and can lead to hydroplaning in wet conditions. Drivers should use the penny trick to see if they still have enough tread on your tires. After sticking a penny in the tread, if Lincoln’s head disappears, the tire is considered good. In addition, drivers should ensure their spare tire is properly inflated and has ample tread depth.
• Change oil and oil filter. Oil keeps the hardworking engine parts running clean, smooth and cool. Most owner’s manuals suggest that drivers change their oil and oil filter every 7,500 miles (12,070 kilometers). Oil change specialists suggest every 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers), or three months. To check the oil, drivers should let their car run for a few minutes, then park it on a level surface and shut off the engine. Using the oil dipstick, drivers should look for two things: the level of the oil and how it looks. If they are low on oil, they can either add another quart or change the oil completely. The oil should look brownish yellow and clean on the stick. If it is a dark color or there’s a lot of dirt and grime in it, the oil should be changed and the oil filter replaced.
• De-winterize the car. Remove snow tires, which are heavy and will lower the fuel economy. Next, check the fluid levels, including coolant, transmission, differential, power steering and brake fluid, to ensure no leaks exist. It’s also important to clean the undercarriage of the car after a long winter, especially if one lives in a snowy climate. The salt that’s used to melt snow and ice on roads can get caked on the underside of the car and begin to eat away at the metal.
• Check hoses and belts. The key to safe summer driving is keeping the engine cool. The hoses connected to the radiator help pump coolant to and from the engine block, and the belts run the fan that helps cool the system further. If the hoses crack or the belts snap, the radiator will quickly overheat, leaving you stranded. Experts say the risk of belt failure rises dramatically after 36,000 miles.
• Change the air filter. Over the winter, a car’s air filter can get clogged with salt and other thick debris, lowering fuel efficiency. Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. The recommended interval for changing one’s air filter is every 12,000 miles, although this might be affected by the particular road and air conditions in which one drives.
• Replace the windshield wipers. Summer thunderstorms are said to decrease visibility by as much as 15 or 20 feet in front of one’s vehicle. Ice, snow, salt and extreme temperatures can crack and tear the rubber, lowering the effectiveness of the wipers. When wipers leave visible streaks or take several passes to clear away light rain, they need to be replaced.
• Check the brakes. Brakes need to be replaced when the lining on the brake pad or brake shoe is worn down past the minimum thickness specified by the car manufacturer or state law. Some signs that the brakes need to be checked include:

• The brake pedal is either very soft, or very hard and resistant.
• The brake pedal rests too low or too high.
• Loud and constant scraping/grinding sounds come from the brakes.
• The indication or warning signal lights up on the dashboard.

• Check the coolant and radiator. Cars are designed to run hot, but there’s a limit to how hot they should run. A combustion engine is most efficient at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). But, if an engine is allowed to get too hot, moving metal parts can start to melt and fuse together, damaging the engine. A well-tuned cooling system can take long idles in hot weather, but low coolant levels or a busted fan belt can cause the engine temperature to rise. Check under the hood to ensure the coolant levels are fine. The general rule is to flush the radiator and add new coolant at least every two years. Flushing the radiator is done with a special chemical that cleans debris and build-up on the inside of the radiator. For summer driving, coolant should be added as a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water.
• Clean the battery. Summer heat can speed up the chemical reaction inside a battery, causing it to be overcharged. This can dramatically shorten the lifespan of your battery. Heat can also damage the battery by evaporating internal battery fluid. The best way to keep the battery running smoothly is to keep it clean. Regularly detach the battery cables and wipe off the terminals. Make sure the battery is strapped down tightly and that all connections are secure.
• Maintain the air conditioning. When the air conditioner can’t generate or maintain air temperatures that are 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) below the ambient outside air temperature, it likely is broken. Air conditioning units commonly malfunction due to a low level of refrigerant, which could be caused by a leak somewhere in the system. Air conditioning systems are complicated, so it’s best to have a professional check out the problem.

For more information visit http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/summer-car-maintenance.htm/printable.