It’s finally here… Summer! The days of jump starting your frozen car and scraping an inch of ice off your windshield are behind you. After those harsh months, it’s important to take some steps to ensure your car is summer-ready.
- Tires
If you just made it through a cold Canadian winter, then you probably have either winter tires or all-season tires. If you have winter tires, it is imperative that you have your summer tires put on! We understand that summer snowfalls aren’t unheard of, but as soon as those temperatures start soaring into the 20s, the warm roads can damage your winter tires (and some winter tires can also damage the pavement!). Regardless if you have all-seasons or summer tires, you will want to check your tires over for any damage. All-season tires could have got damaged during the winter drives, while summer tires may have deflated while sitting in storage. Be sure to check them over or have a professional do it for you if you’re unsure.
- Air Conditioning
Ah, finally! No more blasting the heat but, instead, blasting that air conditioning. You probably haven’t had your dial switched over to A/C in months now, so it’s a good idea to check that your air conditioning is in good working order before you get stuck in a traffic jam in +30o. Take your car into a qualified technician if you are worried at all about your air conditioning system not working properly.
- Oil Change
You should be having your oil changed about every 3000 miles or so. If you’re gearing up for any summer road trips, you will definitely want to have your oil checked.
- Check your Brakes
The slow winter drives spent inching away in traffic jams could have dealt some abuse to your brakes. Also, extreme temperature changes can cause damage to your brake pads (think your tires being hot from use hitting a frozen puddle). If you’re inclined to check your own brakes, do so; if not, seek a professional!
- Check your Fluids
If you are car-savvy, you can probably check this all yourself. If you’re not, though, one trip to the mechanic should get you checked for all your fluids; this includes your coolant, automatic transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and brake fluid.
- Get a Car Wash
This is an easy but often overlooked one. The salt from winter roads can really damage the paint on your vehicle so it’s best to clean it as soon as you can. And anyways, who doesn’t love a clean car shining in the summer sun?