Cleveland Collision Center - Cleveland, TN

How Summer Heat Can Affect Your Car

We all love summer. Well, at least most of us do. While we look forward to a hot day at the beach, our cars most likely dreads it.

Extreme heats can cause your car to overheat,shorten battery life and much more So read on to find out how to care for your car in the summer heat!

1. Cause The Engine To Overheat
Heat can cause the cars fluids to dry up which then means the engine can overheat if you don’t maintain the water and coolant levels. To prevent your car overheating make sure you have adequate fluid levels of coolants and make sure the coolant is fresh. Your car may or may not tell you it is time to add more fluid, so it is always a good thing to check manually.

2. Expands The Air In The Tires
Temperature can affect the pressure in tires. During a hot summer day, it can cause the tires to expand, you should always follow the manufactures handbook on how to get the correct and recommended pressure.

3. Shorten The Battery’s Life
Heat causes the battery’s life to shorten. To prevent excessive discharge and keep batteries from getting worse: Keep the battery cool by parking somewhere shaded, properly charging the battery is very important and battery life will last longer. If at all possible, park your car in the garage and out of direct sunlight.

4. Dry Up The Car’s Fluids
Very dry and extreme heats can cause your car to ‘dry up’, a few things in the car could start acting up like the air conditioning. You need to keep your car and fluids well maintained.

5. Exterior of the Car
Sometimes, heat can even begin to affect the exterior condition of your car. Just think about it. When your car is out in a sunny spot for hours on end, it is pretty much baking at that point. Wash your car frequently in a shady spot. Dry the car thoroughly afterwards. Very hot and dry temperature can cause the paint to begin crack the paint.

Another great thing to think about when planning a trip in the heat is to bring an emergency kit, this will come in very handy. Things that should be in this kit are: roadside flares, jumper cables, flashlight, car charger for mobile device, water, these are just a few things it is always good to research and plan a trip and things you should bring in case of an emergency.

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