Warmer weather is on the way! Soon it will be time for those summer road trips and travel plans you have been thinking about all winter. Before you know it, you’ll be loading up the vehicle, corralling the children, and hitting the road. Are you ready? Is your vehicle ready? Do you know what should be checked before we enter the warm season? Let’s explore what you should look at or have looked at before you take the next summertime road trip.
Tires - Cold weather and salty roads are hard on everything, including your tires. Check the tire pressure and fill them with the recommended pressure as stated on the driver’s side door placard. Tire pressures vary depending on the temperature outside. Check the overall condition of your tires. Look for weather cracks in the outer casing and the depth of the tread. The state minimum is 2/32” but we have found that due to the weather extremes and changing road conditions in Minnesota, 4/32” is a real world save minimum for tire tread depth. Look at the age of the tire. Tires are designed to have a safe useful life of about 10 years maximum.
Find the DOT number and look at the last four numbers stamped into the tire. Look at both sides of the tire as the last four numbers are only on one side. The last two numbers are the year of manufacturing. Most tire failures in the summer are due to old or underinflated tires. Taking the time to look them over before it gets warm can save you from the inconvenience of a blow-out when traveling. Don’t forget to check the spare tire too!
Brakes – Like tires, brakes live down in the nasty areas for salt corrosion and contamination. Winter wreaks havoc on your brakes due to the corrosive nature of road treatments. We recommend having your brakes checked, cleaned and lubricated annually to keep them operating at peak performance.
Air Conditioning – It’s hard to deny the benefits of AC (Air Conditioning) in your vehicle. Having your AC functioning properly is critical to comfortable summertime travels. Most of us don’t think twice about it until there is a problem. It’s best to have the performance of your AC system checked every couple of years. Identifying problems early on can save you money in the long run. Waiting until the system has completely failed can lead to some very costly repairs to get the system operating properly again.
Engine Cooling System - A sister system to your AC is the engine cooling system. The engine cooling system is tasked with controlling the heat created during combustion by transferring the heat of the running engine into the engine coolant. Then, the heat is transferred from the coolant to the radiator and heater core. The heat from the radiator is dissipated to the outside atmosphere, cooling the engine, and the heat from the heater core is dissipated into the passenger compartment, heating the inside of the vehicle. Most engines are designed to operate anywhere from 185-210°F. Water is mixed with engine coolant, raising the boiling point of the mixture up to about 225°F. Then the cooling system is pressurized to approximately 15 PSI, which raises the boiling point again to around 250°F. Leaking cooling systems, poorly mixed coolant, or bad pressure caps will lower the boiling point, causing the engine to overheat. Have the cooling system thoroughly inspected every year, including the hoses, and replace the coolant every 5 years.
Battery and Charging System - Warm weather can sometimes be harder on your battery than cold weather. Have your battery checked once a year to make sure it still has adequate reserve capacity to start your vehicle during strenuous outdoor conditions. Right along with the battery is the charging system. Think of it this way, the battery stores power, providing a power source to start the vehicle. It also tempers voltage spikes of high load components, like the radiator fan, during vehicle operation. The charging system provides power for the electrical system, controls system voltage, and replenishes the stored battery power when the engine is running. Batteries and alternators can sometimes randomly fail, but many times there are pre-indicators that alert you to a problem ahead of time. Having your starting and charging systems checked annually can help avoid unexpected breakdowns.
Wipers and lights - It is good practice to replace your wipers every spring. Let’s face it, many of us don’t take the time to scrape and free up the wipers in the winter, and they take a beating because of it. Once you get past the scraping season, put a new set of quality wiper blades on your vehicle so you are ready for the spring rains.
Spring is also the time of the year when many of us are now driving into the sun during our morning and evening commutes. Keeping all the vehicle lights in good working order is vital to your safety and the safety of the other drivers around you. Check your headlights, marker lights, brake lights, and turn signals for proper function.
Engine - A well-maintained engine, operating at peak performance, helps you get the most miles per gallon out of each gallon of gas. Extended oil changes and lack of maintenance can lead to a poor running engine, which will increase your fuel consumption. It can also cause the CEL (Check Engine Light) to illuminate, lead to part failure, and ultimately a breakdown on the side of the road. Keep up with your oil changes, have the vehicle undergo a professional overall inspection annually, and address any warning lights that turn on promptly.
Transmission - Your transmission is also another vital part of proper vehicle function. A poorly operating transmission is destined to leave you stranded if the problem is ignored. The longer you go before dealing with transmission problems, the more money it is going to cost you to get it properly repaired. Proper fluid maintenance can prevent most transmission problems. Some vehicle manufacturers will label their transmissions as “lifetime fluids”, leading you to believe that they don’t require maintenance. That is only true if you wish to shorten the life of your transmission. Wouldn’t it be better to have a transmission that lasts the life of the vehicle? Have the fluid in your transmission exchanged every 60,000 miles to give your transmission a chance at a long and useful life.
Drivetrain - Like the transmission, the vehicle drivetrain requires fluid maintenance too. The drivetrain consists of everything between the transmission and the wheels, like the transfer case (AWD and 4WD vehicles), drive shafts, and drive axles. Have the fluid checked in each of these annually. Replace the fluid every 60,000 miles or sooner if you are towing regularly. Have the driveshafts and u-joints checked every year for play or rust build-up in the joints. Repair as needed.
Getting your vehicle ready for the summer season can seem like a big task, but it doesn't have to be. Bring your vehicle to a qualified maintenance and repair facility, like Sanderson Auto Repair, and have it thoroughly inspected at least once a year. Even if you service the vehicle yourself at home, you can’t beat a great inspection with a vehicle on a hoist by a qualified Automotive Service Technician. Then, match that with a seasoned Service Advisor who reviews your vehicle service history, and you will be able to stay on top of your vehicle maintenance needs, which will greatly reduce or eliminate roadside breakdowns. Helping you enjoy the summertime driving season.
Aaron Bjorklund