East
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By Austin Kane, ASE Certified Technician and Owner, East Shop since October 2012.
Is your car ready for a worry free summer traveling?
You are looking forward to that summer trip – packing up the car, kids, cooler and the dog! Be sure your air conditioning is working to its maximum potential to beat the summer heat and keep the family happy! Have your radiator pressure checked to check for any unwanted leaks to keep you from being stranded with sasquatch. What else needs to be checked to keep you from being stranded on the side of a hot highway?
A few things to keep in mind:
Is your vehicle due for an oil change? Or will you exceed the recommended 5,000 miles in between oil changes while you are on your trip? If so, have your vehicle serviced by Honest Accurate Auto Service before you leave. Its important to have a simple oil change to give your car a thorough inspection and have any preventative maintenance or repairs done before something becomes more expensive to repair than it should have been.
Have your battery tested. Contrary to popular belief, batteries die more often in the summer. Extreme changes in temperatures throughout the winter and spring take their toll
(especially in Colorado) and the summer heat speeds up the chemical reactions occurring in your battery. Batteries can die without warning – so have your battery checked before you leave or if you have a red battery light on your dash its imperative to get it checked immediately.
Check your tires (don’t forget your spare tire!) before you leave the driveway. Do you have adequate tread for traction during those summer storms or off-road adventures to your campsite? Check your tire pressure. Tires will wear more evenly, last longer, and perform as intended when inflated to the correct pressure and if they are rotated regularly. This also helps with road noise keeping you from saying “WHAT!?” all the time to your significant other in the vehicle. Feel free to stop in and have a complimentary tire pressure check at any time.
Have your brakes checked before you leave. Brakes are the single most important safety item on your car, and it is important that they work when you need them (hopefully you use them often
). Brakes and rotors (the metal circular plate that the brake pads press upon) wear with time and use, and therefore require machining (rotors) and/ or replacement. Replacing brake pads before they are worn out can save money in the long run, because if the brake pads are gone, the metal to metal contact will destroy the rotors requiring replacement ($$$). This is much more costly than machining.
Check your Fluid Levels (brake fluid, coolant, washer fluid, engine oil, power steering fluid, transaxle and differential oils): Keep an eye under your car (where you park) for any leaking fluids, and have your fluids checked for adequate level and condition – cloudy, dirty fluids are not as effective in doing their job and they cause accelerated wear on components they were designed to protect. Think of changing our fluids like vacuuming your house. If you never vacuum you will have costly carpet replacement just like costly engine replacement ($$$$$$).
Check your belts and hoses. Hoses and belts are critical for the systems that keep your engine coolant in the engine where it should be (radiator and coolant) and your battery charged and air conditioning working because no one likes an angry husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. If either break or leak, the engine can overheat, resulting in catastrophic engine failure or your battery will discharge, leaving you stranded possibly sleeping with the wolves. Check for cracks or leaks in the hoses, and check the belts for cracking or visible fraying or have a professional at Honest Accurate Auto Service give you a QUICK CHECK!
We wish you safe and enjoyable worry free summer, whether you are traveling out of state or doing a “staycation”. Don’t forget the beautiful sights in our own city and surrounding areas – send us your favorite sight to see, best hike or bike route, or fun activity close by and if you find sasquatch we would love to know.
