With summers kicking in and the mercury rising, it looks like its going to be another typical Indian summer, unforgivably hot! While we all have our own set of tricks to beat the heat, our cars sadly don’t and while those weekend drives to your friends farm or taking the family out for a road trip to that hill-station nearby, in the comfort of your Air-Conditioned vehicle seem to be a great way to tackle the enveloping heat, you forget that your car goes through a torrid time while operating under those conditions. If the Summers were not enough, we have another weather condition which is equally bad if not worse for our summer refuge on four wheels, the Monsoon. The humidity, the water logged roads, the rust, the odour, the horror!
The drastic variation in the environment with the kind of roads and traffic sense that we have in our country make these months the most challenging antagonist to our Vehicles. It is important that we arm our protagonist with the right kind of arsenal to take on every challenge thrown at it and comes out on top every time, unscathed. So we at carblogindia have put together a simple checklist which you should go through to make sure your Vehicle is battle ready before the battle begins.
Car Maintenance Tips For Summer
If you are a follower of Formula-1 or Cross-country Rally driving, you will know the amount of preparation which goes in to get the best out of those machines depending on track and weather condition, now beating Fernando Alonso in our Maruti-800’s may not be what we are going for, but the following tweaks and precautions can go a long way to optimize the performance you get from your Car under a harsh sun:
- First things first: get an oil and filter change if not changed as per your last due service schedule. Else check the levels to be sure oil is filled to correct levels.
- Check the tires: Check the air pressure, as the temperature swings in day and night, it can cause your tires to lose pressure very quickly.
- Check you coolant and motor oil: The coolant should be changed annually on most vehicles. This will keep the cooling system fresh and clean inside, which helps prevent corrosion and assures that the coolant has the proper boiling point and protection.
- Inspect your belts and hoses: Make sure to check for any signs of fraying, leakage or cracks and replace them as the summer heat is only going to make it worse.
- Your Battery: Check it often, especially in hot weather and add distilled water if necessary. Keep the top of the battery clean. Dirt can become a conductor, which drains battery power. If corrosion accumulates on battery terminals, it becomes an insulator and inhibits the current flow.
- Air conditioning: Asses you AC, if it fails to give you the usual relief, you might need to add refrigerant. Or, see if there’s another cause, such as a leak, loose drive belt or a clogged condenser.
Car Maintenance Tips For Monsoon Rains
The weather which seems to be a Global favourite, is hands down the most testing for an automobile especially with the kind of conditions we have in terms of infrastructure, where water logged roads can be an everyday sight. The following checklist will make sure that the rains are enjoyable for both you and your vehicle.
- Get your car Waxed: The rain due to the rising pollution levels may be slightly acidic, hence a thin layer of wax will help the water slip off and avoid any serious damage to the paint job of your car.
- Pay attention to details: Get those small scratches on the surface touched up, you don’t want exposed metal to come in contact with rain water and invite rusting. Getting an under-body rust treatment every couple of years is also a good idea.
- Tire treads: Make sure that the tread of your tires are in good condition, in slippery road conditions a bald tire is the last thing you need, also make sure that you maintain the tire pressure as these two would be critical when you come across hard braking situations
- Wheel alignment: Make sure your wheels are properly aligned to avoid any imbalance. Get the alignment checked from the service center.
- Wiper Blades and Motor: The most underrated part of your vehicle becomes the most crucial on a rainy day, the rubber on the wiper tends to harden up with time reducing its effectiveness. Also check your wiper motor and make sure it is working efficiently.
- Check your Electronics: Water and electronics are never a good combination, hence get the wiring for the battery and the alternator checked for proper insulation.Ensure that your car’s headlights, indicator lights and tail lights are working properly, so that other drivers and pedestrians can see you under heavy rainfall.
- Check the odour formation: Make sure the vehicle’s rubber insulation is adequate in keeping the water out, because once the upholstery or the foot mats get damp it is going to be a long affair to get rid of the subsequent odour formation. A car freshener in this weather is a good choice.
- Brakes: Rain water moistens the brake drums which can cause lower braking efficiency. In order to avoid this, it is advisable to use the brake on and often. Keep the brakes well-oiled.
Just so that we cover everything we add this last bit, remember to keep a toolkit and spare wheel in the vehicle at all times.
Look after you vehicle and it in turn will serve you well, remember its always better to spend money on car maintenance than car repairs. So check the boxes on the list above, fasten your seat belts and from all of us here at Car Blog India, Have a good drive!
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