Tips for hot weather driving
Make sure your vehicle is ready for hot summer driving:
- Check the level and strength of the coolant. A low coolant level may allow your engine to Make sure the coolant reservoir is filled to the proper level. NEVER open a radiator cap on a hot radiator to check the coolant level! Hot steam and boiling coolant may spray out a burn you! Wait until the engine has cooled to check the level inside the radiator (this should not even be necessary if the coolant level in the reservoir is maintained). If low, add a 50/50 mixture of the specified coolant and water. NEVER run straight water in the radiator. Water does cool better than antifreeze, but antifreeze is required to raise the boiling temperature of the coolant and to protect against corrosion
- Check your air conditioner. Make sure the A/C blows cold air and is working properly. Nothing makes hot weather seem worse as a weak air conditioner If the A/C is not blowing cold air, the refrigerant charge may be low. The system should be checked for leaks before adding refrigerant
- Change the oil.Replacing old dirty oil with fresh oil can increase the lubrication protection for your engine. Switching to a heavier viscosity motor oil during hot weather is a good idea, especially on older high mileage engines. For example, you might want to change from 5W-30 to 10W-30, 10W-40 or 20W-30 for hot weather driving. synthetic motor oil are even better for high temperature protection
- Check Your Tires.Check the tire for wear, uneven wear, age cracks or damage. Check the inflation pressure in all the tiers, including the spare. Underinflated tires makes the tires run hot and increases the risk of a blowout.
- Check the age of your battery. Most car batteries only last 4 or 5 years. If you battery is 5 or more years old, it will probably need to be replaced soon. Hot weather is actually harder on batteries than cold weather because it increases the rate of evaporation of the liquid electroyte inside the battery (this is not a problem with gel type batteries). The date can be determined by reading the date code on the battery. The date code number indicates the year, and the date code letter corresponds to the month (A = January, B = February, C = March, etc.)
- Protect yourself.Wear a hat to keep the hot sun off your head and carry a bottle of water in the car in case you get stuck for a long period of time in traffic or have a break-down on a hot day.