Tips to summerise your car and enjoy the road ahead
We all love summer! The flowers are in full bloom, the grass is green and the sun is warm. Summertime calls for most of us out on the roads travelling to holiday destinations, weekend getaways, or just spending your days out enjoying the hot summer. If you leave your car outside – especially if you have leather seats – you have probably experienced the horror of sitting on a boiling hot seat and then placing your hands on a steaming hot steering wheel. Not only is a hot car uncomfortable to drive, but most cars are not made for extremely hot temperatures.
There are a few things you can do to prepare your car for a safe and steadfast summer of driving and keeping yourself cool and alert.
Your vehicle’s cooling system – is critical to your summer driving. The primary job is keeping your engine cool. Driving an overheated vehicle can cause serious damage to the engine without proper maintenance.
Brakes – hot weather can increase the temperature of your brake system, causing your pads to wear more quickly. You’ll want to keep tabs on how worn your brakes are.
Windows – windows not only let the hot sun in to heat your seats, it also traps the heat and sunlight, causing interior temperatures to rise. There are, however, some easy ways to stop the light and heat.
Use sunshades or tint your windows – make sure you check on the regulations concerning window tinting
Park in the shade – if covered parking is not available and there are no trees nearby, try turning your car around in your parking spot. This may help make sure the bulk of the sunlight is shining on the back of your car, preventing your wheel and seat from getting too hot.
Leave a slight open gap in your windows – to minimize the possibility of theft, leave a gap in your windows but only slightly (less than an inch) to allow for airflow. You may want to check the weather forecast first to avoid any unwanted surprises.
Seats – if you own a car with leather seats – consider purchasing seat covers to form a barrier between you and your seat.
Air conditioning – have your air conditioning system inspected for worn or damaged parts. Hot cabin temperatures reduce concentration and increase driver fatigue. If your car’s air conditioning is in working order, blast it as soon as you get in your car. Use the recirculate feature to cool your whole vehicle down even faster. Use your air conditioning sparingly though if your engine is prone to overheating. Using air conditioning makes your engine work harder and could lead it to overheat.
Diesel-Electric supplies a wide range of elf lubricants and coolants – contact an outlet near you https://www.diesel-electric.co.za/outlets/
We recommend should you be in doubt or suspect any issues you take it to an authorised auto dealer or mechanic to make sure all is operating properly.