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Your car made it through another frigid winter, and now it’s smooth sailing into the summer, right? Wrong. If you’re not careful, the summer heat can be as damaging as the winter chill.
We’ll break down how the summer heat can cause problems for your car so you can ensure that your vehicle stays healthy and strong this season.
Oil and Fluids
In the sweltering heat of summer, your body can become dehydrated without proper fluids, and your vehicle is the same. Your car’s oil and fluids are its lifeblood, and if it’s running low, it could spell disaster.
When it’s hot outside, your engine is more likely to overheat, which can cause severe damage. Ensure that your engine has enough coolant and consider flushing and replacing it if it’s been five years or approximately 100,000 miles since you last replaced it.
Other fluids in your vehicle that you should ensure are at their proper levels in the summer include:
- Brake fluid
- Motor oil
- Transmission fluid
- Power-steering fluid
Cooling System
As we mentioned before, your engine’s coolant is essential to the vehicle operating properly in the hot summer months. When the temperature rises, your car’s entire cooling system must work harder, including the water pump, radiator, thermostat, hoses, and coolant.
If any one of these components is malfunctioning or failing, the entire cooling system in your vehicle will fail. If that happens, you’re stuck with an overheated and hot car in the dog days of summer. Check and double-check your vehicle’s cooling system to ensure it’s ready and capable of handling the heat.
Exterior Paint
Plenty of everyday things can damage your car’s paint job, and the sun is chief among them. The sun’s UV-rays can cause your vehicle’s paint to fade faster, and the summer is when the sun is at its peak.
If you must park your car outside during the day in the summer, we recommend that you find some shade to keep it out of the sun’s beaming rays. Avoid trees—you don’t want to trade shade for bird droppings or tree sap on your car!
Battery
Typically, we hear about how the winter can drain your battery, but the summer can be just as harmful. The intense summer heat can cause battery fluid to drain faster, which exposes the lead plates and leads to corrosion.
Check your battery’s power and life remaining and have a professional inspect it for corrosion. If it’s on its last legs or has extensive corrosive buildup, it’s better to replace and take care of it now than when you’re on the side of a road on a hot summer day.
As you can see, there are many ways the summer heat can cause problems for your car. You can keep your vehicle running strong, though, by taking the time and remaining vigilant of its fluid levels and exposure to the sun.
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