Summer is a time for road trips, tailgates, and day trips to the beach. However, before setting off, it is important to make sure your car is in top shape after the long winter. However, with this beautiful summer season comes heat and humidity, which can cause problems (and exacerbate existing issues) in your car if you haven’t taken the steps to maintain it properly.

The last thing you want is to be alongside the highway with a faulty battery or overheated engine. To make sure your car is road-trip ready, take a few minutes to give it these quick checks (you’ll be glad you did!):

Check your tires

With the temperature changing, your tire pressure may fluctuate. Tires with too low or too high pressure are more vulnerable to flats, blowouts, and accidents. To find out the correct tire pressure for your vehicle, review your owner’s manual. The pressure listed is always for a cold tire, so it’s best to check your pressure after your car has been sitting for a while. Tires filled to the correct pressure can even make your car more fuel efficient! If you’re planning any long road trips, you should also make sure that your tires haven’t endured too much wear. To check the tread, you can always use the old penny trick: Put a penny in one of your tire’s grooves – the top of Lincoln’s head should be covered by the tire. If it isn’t, your thread is too low!

Replace your windshield wipers

An unfortunate consequence of summer’s warm weather is frequent and spontaneous thunderstorms. To make sure you are prepared when the sky suddenly opens as you are driving home from work, it is best to have fresh windshield wipers. Old windshield wipers leave blurry streaks on your windshield that restrict visibility and inhibit your safety. Also, cold weather can cause your windshield wipers to crack or tear. If you haven’t changed your wipers in a while, now is the time!

Clean your battery

A car battery can die at any time of the year, but heat shortens battery life by overcharging it and causing battery fluid to evaporate. Grime and corrosion that cover a dirty battery can retain heat, acting as an insulator and shortening your battery’s life even quicker. To maximize the efficiency of your battery, clean it regularly and thoroughly. When your car is cold, detach the battery cables and wipe down its terminals. Scrape off any corrosion or dirt that covers your battery. When you place it back in the car, make sure that all connections are secure and that the battery is strapped down tightly. Lastly, remember to avoid any contact with battery fluid! To ensure your protection, it is recommended to wear rubber gloves and safety glasses.

Maintain your air conditioning

One of the most important components of your car during the sultry summer months is, of course, your air conditioning. If you’ve ever been in a car with a broken air conditioning in the middle of July, you know that your AC is worth taking care of! With the ice and snow supplied by this past winter, denser dust particles could have gotten into your air filter. Air filters are relatively cheap and easy to replace, so you it is best to check and see if you need a new one. The most common problem for ACs is a low level of refrigerant, most often caused by a leak. Since you weren’t using your AC too much during the winter, you may want to check your refrigerant level to make sure it will last you the entire summer!

Check  your coolant and radiator

A common and stressful problem seen most often during the summer months is a car breakdown due to overheating. Sitting in traffic on a hot day with a low level of coolant is a quick way to overheat your engine. New coolant usually only needs to be added every couple years, but it doesn’t hurt to check each year to be on the safe side. If you do need to refill coolant, remember to never remove the radiator cap until the engine is completely cooled! If you see a puddle of antifreeze underneath your car, you should have this fixed immediately. It can be hard to tell how severe the leak is, and you do not want your car unexpectedly overheating. Your radiator also only needs to be flushed every couple years to clean out debris, but if you think your car is having issues overheating, it’s best to get your hoses, clamps. and belts checked by a professional.

We hope that this list will help you reach your destination throughout this warm summer! If you need help with anything related to your car, please stop by Thompson Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Raleigh and let our skilled mechanics handle everything. You can make an appointment online, or give us a call today at (855) 825-4662! We service all makes and models.