Is Your Car Summer-Ready?

Summer is a season of exciting adventures waiting to happen and while some summer-lovers pride themselves in working towards achieving that beach body, some cannot wait for the endless road trips and summer drives.

The few that detest the horrid heat try to avoid the scorching sun as much as possible, whatever the approach the fact remains that your car needs to be as ready for the summer in Melbourne as you are! 

Here is how you can achieve the same and tick it off your to-do list before that glorious heat sets in.

The Tire Check:

A car without functioning tires is as good as having no car at all! They are trusted with the duty of encouraging safety and being responsible for your vehicle’s performance.

Neglecting your tires is like neglecting the key safety feature of your car. A vehicle's performance and control depends on the tires, and most accidents happen due to the fact that they are often neglected.

It is important to check your tires and ensure that they are in good shape, checking the rubber and making sure there are no bubbles or marks of wearing off on them is a good way to do so. 

It is always better to replace a tire if it doesn’t look to be in good shape than to have to suffer the consequences of neglecting the early signs of warning before any mishaps. Don’t forget to check the status of your spare tire too; you never know when that can come handy!

The Brake Check:

Your driving is only as good as your ability to efficiently brake especially during the summer traffic and travel. The change of weather can take a toll on your vehicle's brake pad and the extreme weather situations in Melbourne can aggravate that even further.

It is important to have your brakes checked regularly and especially while preparing for summer. For those that are tech-savvy this might be easy but for those that aren’t, have a professional check your vehicle's brakes.

The status of your brakes cannot always be judged so having them checked for cracks of any marks of wear and tear is important. 

The Required Car Wash:

Getting done with winter isn’t as easy as it seems and even though the filth seems to disappear with time, the grime and filth remains accumulated in parts of your vehicle. 

Having your car washed thoroughly ensures that this grime is removed and does not turn into a build-up of dirt over the summer. Make sure you are cleaning out your vehicle and any kind of waste in the trunk or under the seats before having it hosed down.

While having your car washed use high-pressure water and good quality cleansers to make the process easier. Having the vehicles carpets cleaned out and cleaning up those windows is as equally important. Cleaning the engine bay helps remove accumulated grime which makes it easier to spot any kind of leakage and its source. 

The Oil Check:

Checking your car’s dipstick is important, you can do so by removing the same and inspecting the level and colour of the oil.

If you notice any shade other than that of amber and the fill indication is not met, know you have a problem! Black and nasty indicates a serious problem and requires an immediate change.

Synthetic oil is meant to last your vehicle 6000-7000 miles while regular oil lasts for 4000-5000, these numbers can also be affected by conditions such as the weather or driving. 

The Coolant Check:

Your vehicle's coolant needs to be replaced at least once in a year. Check the level of your coolant and the coolant mix. Ensure that the overflow or radiator tank needs to be full.

If the procedure is too complex for you, a coolant tester from any auto-parts store can help you determine if any adjustment needs to be made.

Remember to be safe and keep your kids or pets safe during this process as glycol may seem tempting but ingesting the same could dangerous due to its toxic nature. 

Inspecting the Automatic Transmission Fluid:

For those car owners that enjoy the benefits of an automatic transmission, the owner’s manual can help you regularly check the level of fluid. The liquid level is required to be at that recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer while being a lovely red colour.

Filling the fluid with ATF mix that is suggested to be appropriate for your vehicle according to the manual is key! While too little fluid can take a toll on your torque converter, too much fluid can affect the vehicle's performance by leading to overpressure or slippage. 

For those that own cars with a manual transmission, this process can be a little tedious and you would need to retract the fill plug by having to crawl under the vehicle after it is jacked up. The owner’s manual can help you confirm that your fluid is up to the mark. 

Check the Power Steering Fluid:

General servicing neglects the inspection of the power steering fluid, which makes it all the more important to ensure that it is inspected. Having a low amount of power steering fluid can affect your power steering and it may not be as smooth as it should be.

Premature failure can be caused by a dirty solution which is why it is necessary to regularly check that there isn’t any. Fill the liquid to the maximum and have any form of dark brown fluid cleaned out and refilled. Refer to the owner’s manual for more help.

Check Your Brake Fluid:

Brake fluid plays a major role in the functioning of a brake thereby being one of the responsible factors for the vehicle's safety. If your brake liquid is in bad shape it can and will affect the functioning of your vehicles braking or even lead to brake failure. 

You can find the tank of brake fluid at the bottom of the windscreen; this tank is transparent and needs to hold fluid that is clear and up to the required marking. Any kind of dark and filthy looking colour is clear indication that the brake fluid needs to be cleaned out and replaced as soon as possible.

Do not reuse a bottle once opened as this fluid tends to become ineffective with time. Ensure that you are being careful while handling the fluid as it is toxic.  

The Battery Check:

Having a regular check on the battery of your vehicle to ensure the fluid levels are up to the mark is essential. A regular check on the battery will also help you notice any kind f leakage if any. 

Regular fixing:

The number of little things that need to be fixed can often seem to pile up along with the damage intensifying as time passes.

It is essential to fix any little damage or take care of any kind of repairing requirement as it comes up. Neglecting these little damages can lead to intensified damage in the long run that hampers the performance and safety of your vehicle. 

Replace the Windscreen Wipers:

The extreme heat of summers in Melbourne can often lead to the rubber material on the wiper blades melting of becoming damaged.

Replace the wipers with those blades that are built for summer and the extreme heat. Winter also tends to wear out the blades by summer which means that your windscreen blades require replacement; after all, the windscreen wipers do affect your vision of the road which affects your driving and safety in return. 

Windscreen Maintenance:

The windscreen helps shield you from any dirt that comes straight at your vehicle. This part of your vehicle’s front tends to accumulate dirt over time and needs to be regularly cleaned to remove any build-up of dust and dead bugs.

If you are planning a road trip, ensure that your windscreen washer fluid is filled up and your wiping blades are not worn out. Fix any kind of damage that has affected the windscreen to prevent it from getting bigger and affecting the safety of your vehicle.

Taking good care of your vehicle will ensure that it has a longer life and functions well without paralysing you with extra expenses.  So while getting your home and your wardrobe ready for summer, don’t forget your vehicle!

About the Author:

Darren Pay and Justin Oakes are the co-owners of A1 windscreens a renowned name for tinting of car windows and fast glass repairs and replacements in Melbourne.