Hot Weather Car Care

[nissangirl74]

I want to write an article for the home page about summer maintenance for our rides. Everyone posts up plenty of stuff about Winter, but very seldom about Summer. Here, summer is ten times as dangerous as winter is for cars. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know where you're from if I don't already know. Thanks in advance

[AZhitman]

I'll contribute the 'cooling system maintenance' section.

[IBCoupe]

There's an army of critters on most highways looking to mess you up at all hours. Especially at dusk when it starts to get cool enough to forage. I'd say an important thing to do is to slow the frell down.

[nissangirl74]

Two big issues out here are dead batteries and shredded tires. If you don't want to get stranded, you just have to stay on top of that. When it first starts getting really hot, there is so much tire shrapnel all over the roads. I've seen them explode less than 50 feet away. It's scary as hell.

[WDRacing]

From a survival stand point, being stranded when it's wicked hot is just as dangerous as it is when it's freezing. So maintaining your vehicle is very critical. Have kids? Plan ahead.

[Jesda]

I discovered after getting home that the Riviera I bought in Phoenix needed brake lines. Anything that's rubber deserves double and triple checking!

Might not be a bad idea to keep a couple jugs of water in the trunk if you're doing some traveling outside the city, one distilled (for the battery or radiator) and one for drinking.

And indeed, there's some strange little animals on the road in hot weather. Keep your high beams on and you eyes open.

[MinisterofDOOM]

If you live in a place with distinct seasons, checking tire pressure is important regardless of which way the seasons are changing. Here, it gets below -10F in the winter, and up to the 90s in the summer. Means what WAS proper pressure in my tires during the winter is now way too high.

And if you're starting to use AC again, you should make sure your compressor is in good working order. It's not merely a comfort thing--a seized AC compressor can lock up the pulley and chew through your accessory belt. On modern cars, you may have a single serpentine belt which means you're stranded if it fails.
Modern cars tend to automatically utilize AC when in defog/defrost mode, so extended disuse isn't as much of an issue. But that doesn't mean it doesn't need attention.

Definitely watch for animals. Make sure your lights are in working order. I LOVE the fog/driving lights on my LS, because they illuminate the shoulder and area directly in front of the nose much better than headlights alone. They make me feel MUCH more comfortable about driving at night, especially since I don't have HID headlights. I can see animals milling off the road before they ever come onto the road, and can be prepared to react.

Heat can also expose problems in rubber componenets, especially door and window seals. As they get warm and soft, they can start to sag, which can worsen what was not really an issue in colder weather. The sun is also very hard on rubber, and can accelerate oxidation which in turn makes it prone to cracking.

[frapjap]

Don't ever park under a tree. Especially pine trees, or any trees that look like they've just been cut or groomed.

Remember, sap is the scab that a tree protects itself with after being cut. Its sticky and gets very hard.


Extreme example, but it still sucks. If you do get sap on the car, use Tar and Bug remover; very few other solvents work and you'll potentially ruin your paint or clear coat. Don't ask why I know...
WD-40, Mineral Spirits, and Nail Polish Remover do not work very well.

Also, don't park under trees when impending summer rain storms are coming.

[Bubba1]

Good stuff, MoD & Ray. ^

My advice for hot weather car care is to park the dang car in the garage.... j/k

There's actually no substitute for good preventative maintenance regardless of the season. That said, a additional thoughts about the transition from winter to summer.

in addition to checking hoses, and possibly treating rubber surfaces like door/trunk seals, don't forget the sunroof gaskets. They tend to be ignored until they deteriorate to the point that they crack and leak. Also winters can be harsh on windshield wiper blades particularly in states that use salt. Best to inspect them and replace as needed.

And since winter is over, if you live in an area where they salt the roads, time to give the car a good undercarriage bath. It should help slow the onslaught of rust.

Tires: Obviously everyone should checking air pressures regularly, but most don't. An underinflated tire has more of a tendency to blow out in hot weather as the sidewall flexes more generating additional heat. An over-inflated tire (not grossly) is not as likely to blow out as an underinflated one , but what it does do is reduce the contact patch on the road, making it more likely to hydroplane during rainstorms.

Check your air filter. If it's dirty, replace it. Doesn't have to be a K&N, which kids seem to think gives a big power boost, just needs to be relatively clean. Also, many cars have cabin mircro filters, which often get ignored. A clean cabin filter means less work for the a/c compressor.

Obviously, test your a/c. If it blows cold, fine. If it no longer blows cold, time to get it looked at because chances are you have a Freon leak somewhere.

Finally, drive your car to a friends house that's equipped with a pool. Bring a gift.

[Looneybomber]

10w-30 in the summer, 5w-20 in the winter.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Clean off bird crap ASAP. If left on the paint for longer than a day in the hot sun it will RUIN your paint.

[nissangirl74]

<----- makes a mental note to go wash the car tomorrow.

It's the price we pay for parking in the shade. damnit.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Keep wax on it. It helps!

How about invest in a good sun shade? Cut it to fit...

[Bubba1]

Keep wax on it. It helps!

How about invest in a good sun shade? Cut it to fit...

Those sun shades do work but here in the northeast they have a potential downside. Many car radio thieves seem to target them as they can assist them from being seen while in your car removing your stereo.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Crack your windows and use sunshades whenever you park in the sun to protect your dashboard.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not really heat that cracks your dash, it's an abrupt change in temperature...

[stm37s]

I pretty much do the what has been mentioned in previous post and keep her parked in the garage for added safety, lol

[darylzero]

Good stuff, MoD & Ray. ^

My advice for hot weather car care is to park the dang car in the garage.... j/k

There's actually no substitute for good preventative maintenance regardless of the season. That said, a additional thoughts about the transition from winter to summer.

in addition to checking hoses, and possibly treating rubber surfaces like door/trunk seals, don't forget the sunroof gaskets. They tend to be ignored until they deteriorate to the point that they crack and leak. Also winters can be harsh on windshield wiper blades particularly in states that use salt. Best to inspect them and replace as needed.

I was wondering what needs to be done maintenance wise with sunroofs. What do you use to treat the rubber seals?