DON’T LET THE HEAT GET TO YOU OR YOUR CAR

Polish to protect

Just as sunscreen protects your skin from harmful UV rays in summer, coats of wax polish help protect the paint and metal from prolonged exposure to harsh sunlight. This ensures a long and shiny life for the car’s paint, which in turn protects the metal panels from ageing, ensuring durability for the structure of the car.

Plastic panels such as lower body cladding in SUVs need extra care during the harsh summer heat as they tend to age very quickly from dryness. More frequent plastic polishing ensures that they continue to look new and fresh for years.

Keep A Check On Rubber Parts

Before the onset of summer, observe and if need be, replace rubber parts such as window channels. Ageing rubber channels can crack and lead to inadequate dispersion of water during car washes and rain. Cracks will also lead to accumulation of dirt and grime in areas where it can cause blockage of water.

Eye The All-important Tyres

The summer heat adversely affects old tyres, leading to miniature cracks that are not necessarily visible to the naked eye. Tyres have a shelf life of 5 years or typically about 40,000 kilometres for mid-size and compact cars. All tyres have their manufacturing date stamped on the sidewall for reference. This helps in determining when they need to be replaced. So, even if the tyres on a car look new and are relatively unused with adequate tread, they need to be replaced if they are beyond their shelf life, as old tyres are prone to tyre bursts under prolonged or intensive use in hot conditions.

Tyres also need to have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm. Flatter tread than this increases the exposure of the contact patch of tyres to abrasive road elements that can damage it quickly during motion. It can also lead to aquaplaning under wet road conditions. Regular wheel alignment, balancing, and rotation ensure even tyre wear for all tyres, resulting in prolonged life for the tread.

The Right Pressure

We all know that hot air expands. So when a car is moving, the tyre temperature while driving over hot tarmac or concrete rises further, putting more pressure on the walls of the tyres. At this stage, if there are cracks in the rubber, it can lead to a tyre burst. This is catastrophic when a car is in motion at higher speeds on a highway, as it can cause an accident. It is, therefore, imperative that adequate tyre pressure be maintained during the summer. Valve caps also ensure tyre pressure is maintained. Overinflated tyres suffer from higher stress from hot, expanding air during the summer. Filling nitrogen in the tyres ensures that tyre pressure does not change with weather or running conditions.

Periodic Servicing

Cars need to be serviced at regular intervals as prescribed by the manufacturer. Adequate engine oil is more important, for the summer heat destroys oil further. Engine oil also collects debris from regular operational wear and tear of the engine. Hence it is important to get it drained and refilled at regular intervals. Like tyres, oil life is also time-bound, and its protection properties wear out after a year or so. Engine oil protects the operational components from abnormal wear and tear. It ensures a long life for the heart of the car, which incidentally is also the most expensive component of an automobile. It's also a good idea to check the engine oil level occasionally. Additionally, one should ensure their car is serviced per the manufacturer's recommended interval.

Monitoring The Life Of Belts And Hoses

During periodic servicing, service centre professionals also monitor the condition of rubber belts and hoses of a car. Just as is the case for other rubber components, summer increases ageing for these parts due to hot and dry conditions. Air-conditioning and fan belts need to be observed closely to see if they have developed any cracks. A squeaking sound during start-up is a sign of the hardening and ageing of the fan belt. The all-important timing belt/timing chain comes with a manufacturer-recommended replacement interval. These belts can be replaced as needed to ensure they do not snap, and you can enjoy breakdown-free motoring. One should closely follow the manufacturer-recommended replacement period for their car's belts and hoses.

Coolant Top-Up

If the engine is the beating heart of a car, think of the car needing two types of blood circulation. One is the engine oil and the other being coolant. Coolant is vital to maintain optimal engine temperatures, which becomes more challenging during the summer months. Pop the bonnet at regular intervals during these months to have a quick look at the coolant level being in the optimal zone marked out in the coolant reservoir. If the level is lower than recommended, adding some distilled water to top it up to the required level will do the trick.

Car Covers And Sunshades

Using an umbrella is commonplace in the summer to protect against the harsh heat. Give your car the same care. In case the car is being left outdoors for prolonged periods during the summer, using a car cover protects the paint and metal from UV rays. Using windshields and window shades to block out sunlight from the interiors is also a good idea when a car cover is not being used.

Air-Conditioning Gas And Compressor Checkup

Just as you do for your home AC, it is a good idea to have your car’s air-conditioning system checked up, with the onset of summer, to ensure optimal cooling during the intense summer heat.

Always Roll Down The Windows Before Setting Off

How many times have you come back home and thrown open all the doors and windows to let fresh air circulate? Similarly, the cabin of a parked car becomes a heat chamber in the summer. The best way to cool down a cabin is to roll down the windows as soon as you unlock the car to let the hot air escape and let the relatively cooler ambient air pass through. Doing this while initially setting off allows better circulation, letting the air conditioning system effectively cool down the cabin.