Get Your Chevy Ready For Summer Driving

Summer puts serious demands on your vehicle. From the heat to the road trips for vacation, your car, SUV, or van takes a beating throughout the hottest months. To ensure it performs at the optimal level, there are several steps you can take. Check out these tips for summerizing your vehicle.

Get the Tires Rolling

If you have winter tires on your vehicle, it’s time to remove them. Driving winter tires on dry, hot roadways places unnecessary wear on them. Instead, you want summer or all-season tires, both of which offer increased speed and improved fuel efficiency. Drivers who prefer more traction in damp or wet conditions should opt for summer tires rather than all-season tires.

Whether you change your tires or not, you definitely want to have them checked for adequate air pressure. Tires that aren’t inflated properly reduce your fuel efficiency and pose a safety concern. On hot pavement, underinflated tires overheat, increasing the risk that one of them will blowout while you’re driving. Unsure what the correct tire pressure should be? Your owner’s manual may offer guidance, and some vehicles have a chart on the inside edge of the driver’s door.

Stay Cool With Good Air Conditioning

Your car’s air conditioner is a workhorse when it’s hot outside. If you rarely ran the AC in the winter, give it a test run to see how it’s going to work during the summer. If it doesn’t cool fast enough, has a strange smell, or makes an odd noise, have a professional technician at your dealership check it out. Some vehicles have filters that remove debris and dust from the air that’s pushed through your vents. Consult your owner’s manual to find its location. Once you locate it, decide if it’s dirty enough to need replacing.

Check the Cooling System

High temperatures can cause your vehicle to overheat. Fortunately, the car’s built-in cooling system is designed to prevent that from happening. To ensure your engine doesn’t get too hot, it’s important to have the cooling system checked at the start of summer. Every couple of years, a mechanic needs to refill fluids, flush the system of hoses, and make sure all connections are secure.

Give Your Car a Brake Inspection

Many drivers face thunderstorms and rain throughout the summer. In wet conditions, your brakes face more stringent demands. At the same time, wet brakes may not perform well, especially if they’re not in good shape. A mechanic at your dealership can help you assess the condition of your brakes and brake pads. While wet weather is a challenge, the heat also creates problems. Intense temperatures cause your brake system to warm up, potentially resulting in more wear on brake pads. Replace them at the beginning of summer if they’re already showing significant wear.

Here’s one final recommendation that applies throughout the year: change your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Fresh oil ensures the mechanical parts of your engine have enough lubricant to function properly. With so many miles lying ahead of you, taking the steps outlined here will reduce the chances that you’ll have vehicle problems when you’re away from home.