Summer and Hot-Weather Car Care

6 tips

• Check the coolant level and condition before summer. Coolant should be clean, not rusty or brown; if it looks dirty, have it flushed.
• Watch the temperature gauge in stop-and-go traffic. If it climbs toward the red, turn off the air conditioning and turn the heater on full. It pulls heat out of the engine.
• Check tire pressure more often in summer. Pressure rises about 1 psi for every 10 degrees of heat, and overinflated tires wear out the center of the tread.
• Park in the shade and use a sunshade. It keeps the interior cooler and protects the dashboard and seats from cracking.
• Test the air conditioning in the spring, not in July. A weak A/C usually just needs a recharge, but a leak should be fixed by a qualified technician.
• Never leave kids or pets in a parked car, even for a few minutes. The inside of a car can reach 140 degrees in less than an hour on a sunny day.

Related tool

Maintenance Schedule →