By David Monforton

Much ado is made about preparing your vehicle for the harsh winter weather. There’s even a word that has been coined to describe the process: winterize. But when spring finally rolls around, most people are too preoccupied with spring cleaning and yard work to consider that the car in the driveway needs to be prepared for the dog days of summer as much as it does for those long winter nights. While having your vehicle inspected by a qualified auto mechanic to avoid problems, there are several preventative measures you can do yourself to prepare for the blistering summer heat.

First, pop the hood and have a look at the hoses and belts. Visually inspect both for wear and for cracks and chips in the rubber. If there’s any sign of either, replace them. Squeeze the hoses; they should give a little, but you don’t want them to be too hard nor too soft. Push down on the belts. You should be able to move them about a half an inch—more or less than that will probably require their being adjusted or replaced.

While the hood is up, check your fluid levels and quality. Make sure the antifreeze/coolant level is where it is supposed to be. Other than the coolant, oil and washer fluid, most fluids rarely need to be refilled. If you notice one of the others well below where it should be, have your mechanic check it out. Also, any fluid that appears to have sediment in it is a sign of a leak in your engine, and should be checked out immediately.

You don’t want to be caught in an oven on the hottest day of the year, so take a few moments to check the quality of your air conditioning system. Sitting inside, start the car and click on the air. If you get cool air relatively quickly, it should be working fine.
While this inspection should be sufficient for your normal summer driving, if you are planning a long trip, you will want to take a few special precautions.

First, it is a good idea to replace a small temporary spare tire with a full-size replacement tire. Most small spares cannot be driven further than 50 miles or at normal freeway speeds. So unless you plan to have a flat tire within a few miles of your home, you’ll want a full-size spare. And you don’t need to buy a new tire for this purpose; you can buy a used one. Just inspect it closely before you buy, making sure it has plenty of tread depth and even wear.

Second, get your oil changed. Even if you are not likely to reach the usual mileage mark for changing it somewhere along your route, with the amount of driving you will be doing on blazing hot roads in a relatively short span of time, your oil will be taxed. Better for it to be fresh when you start.

Third, make sure you keep a supply of replacement fluids in your vehicle to top off levels that may drop from the extreme use of your engine. Most important are having coolant and engine oil on hand, as those are the ones you are likely to run low on in the middle of nowhere, 100 miles from the nearest service station.

Finally, it would be a good idea to have your vehicle looked over and tuned up by your mechanic before leaving on your trip. While you can troubleshoot a lot of problems yourself, he’ll have the necessary equipment to detect significant problems your eyes and fingers cannot.

To “summerize” what we’ve learned: the summer heat takes an immense toll on your vehicle. By addressing potential problems before the mercury hits the top of the thermometer, you can prevent your summer trip from becoming a summer nightmare.