Summer is winding down, and while the temperatures are still climbing over the 100 mark here in Arizona, cooler weather is on its way – thankfully. The blistering heat we have had this year has wreaked havoc on many of our vehicles; we have seen numerous cars here in the auto shop needing repairs due to the excessive heat. Now that fall is coming though, it is a great time to do some preventative maintenance checks to make sure the heat didn’t do any damage to your vehicle and to make sure it is ready for the next season of use.
If your vehicle has held up through this summer, good for you – you are most likely an auto maintenance pro and we applaud you! That doesn’t mean that your job is done though, car maintenance is an ongoing task in order to reduce repair costs and to keep your vehicle on the road for the long haul. For that very reason, we have compiled a list of vehicle maintenance items to do now.
- Have your battery tested – Excessive heat is one of the main culprits of battery failure.
- Check your tire pressure – as the weather changes, your tire pressure changes as well. It is good to do periodic checks of your tire pressure to make sure they are in the optimal range.
- Inspect your tire tread – again, heat is an enemy to tire tread. The heat caused by friction, added to the already scorching hot pavement can wear down your tire tread much quicker than in cooler weather.
- Have your brake pads inspected – the summer heat can affect brake performance, reduce brake speed, and cause your rotors to become warped.
- Check and refill all your vehicle’s fluids – It is a good practice to check and refill fluids on a regular basis. If one of your fluids are consistently low, it is one of the first indications that your vehicle may have an issue.
- Have your HVAC system checked – Your A/C has been working overtime this year, so performing maintenance now, will make sure it is ready to go again next summer. As far as the heating system, it’s been a while since it’s been in use so a quick check to make sure it is in good working order is a good idea.
- Check your lights – It’s easy to miss when an exterior bulb goes out unless someone tells you about it, so do a walk around and make sure all bulbs are shining bright and blinkers are working.
- Check your gas mileage – if it isn’t as good as it used to be, you might need to have a vehicle tune up performed.
- Replace old wiper blades – We don’t have much rain here in Arizona, and sometimes it can go weeks before you have to turn on your wipers. Unless you have Teflon blades (which we recommend BTW) the heat could have very easily melted them onto your windshield.
Last, but not least, pull out your trusty owner’s manual and see what your vehicle manufacturer recommends for regular maintenance. Each vehicle is different, and the schedule of maintenance items vary from car to car, so it is always a good idea to know what items you need to be keeping up on and which ones can go for a while yet.
