As the summer season approaches, it’s crucial to ensure your car is ready to handle the heat and – if you’re planning on going on vacation – the long road trips ahead. Proper preparation and maintenance can improve your driving experience and keep you safe on the road. Here are some essential tips to prepare your car for summer.

1. Check Your Tires

One of the first things you’d want to check are the tires. Proper tire maintenance is vital for safety and fuel efficiency, especially during the hot summer months when high temperatures can affect tire performance. If you still haven’t changed your tires from winter to summer ones, now is the best time to do it. If you’ve already done that, you can rotate them (to promote even wear) and check the depth of the treads – the more worn-out the treads are, the more the tires are prone to skidding, especially on wet roads after a summer rainstorm. 

Tire pressure is another critical factor, especially since it can change with the temperature. As the weather heats up, the air inside your tires expands, which can lead to overinflation or even blowouts!  For every 10 degrees of increased temperature, your tires can be expected to increase by 1-2 pounds of pressure. 

2. Test the Air Conditioning System and Inspect the Fluid Levels

Test the AC to make sure it’s actually blowing cold air and if not, have it inspected by a professional. Seriously – no one wants to be stuck in traffic with an AC that isn’t working properly. Before any longer road trip, make sure to check the engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and transmission fluid levels, and top off any low fluids. Consider a full change if necessary. Use high quality washer fluid – in summer months, higher levels of dust and dead bugs splattered on the windshield are inevitable and can hinder your visibility on the road.

3. Stave off the Heat

While AC is great – and often necessary – there are situations where you can’t rely on it, of course. How to stave off the heat when your car is parked? There are a few tricks you can use. First and foremost, always park in underground garages or at least in the shade if possible. But if that’s out of the question, you can consider window tinting or UV protective films, and purchase windshield sunshades to protect the dashboard and seats to reduce heat inside the car

4. Proper Dash Cam Maintenance

Just like your windshield, you should keep your dash cam clean – remove any dust or smudges from the lens to ensure optimal performance. You should also check if the memory card is working properly to avoid any footage loss.

Wondering about your dash cam heat resistance? BlackVue dash cams (such as the Cloud-compatible 4K UHD DR970X Plus model) are operational from -20 °C to as high as 70 °C (-4 °F to 158 °F). The high temperature cut off kicks in at around 75 °C (167 °F).

In very extreme temperatures, the sticky tape holding the dash cam’s bracket can come off – it’s good practice to keep some spare tape pieces in the car.

For more maintenance tips for your dash cam, you can read this article.

5. Prepare for Emergencies

Lastly, being prepared for emergencies means you can potentially handle unexpected situations, which unfortunately happen more often than we’d like. Summer road trips especially mean longer drives, so it’s important to be ready for anything. Restock your first-aid kit if necessary and stock up on water. Make sure you have helpful  tools, such as a flashlight, a tire repair kit and jumper cables. It’s good to check on your spare tire too – it should be in good condition and properly inflated.

Conclusion

Preparing your car for summer involves several key maintenance tasks that can not only ensure the safety of you and your passengers, but also provide comfort and better performance on the road. Now your vehicle is ready to tackle the summer heat and enjoy the season to the fullest!