Beating the summer heat is hard work, especially when it comes to your car. If you’ve been driving your Kia in Rio Rancho for a while, you should know extreme heat can harm your vehicle’s health and performance. A proper tune-up while temperatures are still bearable can prevent irreversible damage to your car, and you can enjoy your summer trips worry-free. Here are some practical summer car care tips.
Cooling System
Since you are trying to shield your car from extreme heat, it only makes sense to start with the cooling system: the radiator. It’s responsible for preventing the engine from overheating. If the radiator is full of dirt or doesn’t have enough coolant left, it won’t stand a chance against the July heat waves. When you maintain your car, see that you vacuum the fins and the fan thoroughly and pump in new coolant.
Air Conditioning
You may ask why your car’s AC isn’t part of the cooling system. Well, technically it is, but the AC has a different function. It cools the interior of your vehicle and has little to do with engine performance. However, it doesn’t mean you should neglect it. Summers are getting hotter each passing year and a fully functioning AC is becoming a necessity regardless of the season. Check for damage. Replace the filters and replenish the coolant if needed.
Belts and Hoses
Your car’s engine consists of various components linked together by belts and hoses. Their job is to convey fluids and turn the shafts. However, unlike the rest of the engine, belts and hoses wear out more quickly. That’s why you need to check their condition regularly. If possible, always stash a spare in your car wherever you go. If one of the belts snaps and you don’t have a replacement on hand, your vehicle won’t be able to move. The same goes for the hoses.
Exterior Coating
Have you ever observed how the color of furniture close to the window and exposed to sunlight fades over time? It’s not the sun’s heat that causes the fading, but ultraviolet light. No pigments can stay intact when directly exposed to UV light. This can happen to your car if its exterior coating isn’t well protected. Consider getting ceramic coating or having your car waxed to give its exterior surface an additional layer of protection.
Park Under the Shade
Even with wax or ceramic coating, it’s still ill-advised to park your Kia in Rio Rancho out in the open for too long during daytime. Summer heat can roast not just your car’s surface, but the interior as well. The temperature inside a vehicle parked in the sun can go up to 138 degrees, more than enough to cause a heat stroke. And this heat stays in your car for about an hour even when the sun is already down. The only way to cool your car’s interior more quickly is to turn up the AC, which requires more energy.
Adapting to the rising summer temperatures involves doubling down on car maintenance. If you used to give your car a tune up every six months, make it quarterly. And do it more thoroughly post-spring. Check out Fiesta Kia for more helpful tips.
