It won’t be long before we say goodbye to these few pleasant days before the unrelenting summer sets in. There’s a good reason why a lot of authors refer to the ‘Indian summer’ when writing about a hot day. Your car feels the approaching hot days as well and would like its owner to do something about it, especially since the pandemic seems to be letting off a little and road trips may be on the cards for a lot of you. So, here are a few quick tips to help protect your prized wheels for summer:
Air conditioner
First things first, the one thing working harder in your car than the pistons during summer will be the air conditioner. Now’s the good time to run a quick check if your car has done some years or many kilometres. It could have problems like low-cooling, odour, failed compressor or others.
Given that the temperature inside the car cabin can rise up to 60°C when parked under the sun, finding out that the aircon needs service and fluids smack dab on the first day of summer will be inconvenient and time-consuming.
Also read: Top 5 cars to watchout in March 2022 – Toyota Hilux to Volkswagen Virtus
Tyre pressure
Temperature changes bring about fluctuations in air pressure in your car’s tyres. If the pressure is over or under the recommended psi, it can cause uneven wear on the tyres and not mention wonky fuel efficiency if its running on pressures to low.
Coolant
Keep a steady eye on the temperature gauge on the instrument console. If it’s been on the rise, the coolant level may be too low or there could be a leak. And the summer heat can only aggravate these problems.
Wax
Waxing your car to keep the paintjob safe is a good idea when the damaging rays of the sun get angrier. Think of it a SPF50 sunscreen for your car. If possible, find some shade to park.
To save the seats from direct sunlight while parked, you could leave blankets or towels on them. This way, the blankets will be exposed and the seat will be shielded from the direct sunlight. The blankets will surely be hot when you return to your car but simply toss them in the boot. Or use sunshades. They’re easily available for the front and rear windshields, and for the windows as well.
Tint
While it isn’t safe to have window shades on while driving, cars windows and windscreen can be tinted. HOWEVER, keep in mind that anything beyond the visual light transmission (VLT) limit of 70% for the front and rear windshields and 50% for the side windows is punishable as per the Motor Vehicle Act in India.
Other checks
Granted that in India, it isn’t a large population of cars that live in areas that see snowfall and are hence grounded for the months of winter. But it never hurts to keep a constant check on your car, including things like head and tail lamps, battery, wiper blades, engine oil and so much more.
