Summer Maintenance for Your Car

When the heat of summer arrives in Cincinnati, OH, you’ll need to adjust your car maintenance schedule to account for it. Everything from your engine and tires to your windshield and more can be affected by extreme temperatures, but if you prepare ahead of time, you can avoid issues like overheating. Join the service experts here at Tom Gill Chevrolet in our guide to summer maintenance for your car, below!

Car Tune Up Checklist

In addition to your regularly scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, etc., following our summer car maintenance checklist will help keep your car running smoothly in high temperatures:

• Keeping your engine coolant topped off will help keep your engine from overheating. When your car is cooled completely, check its overflow reservoir to see where the coolant level is at. If it needs a top off, you can do so with a 50/50 mix of water and the type of coolant your vehicle requires – you should find this information in your owner’s manual.
• In addition to checking your coolant levels, you should also check your oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, and power steering fluid levels. If any are low, you should top off, especially if you’re heading out for a long drive.
• Inspect your engine belts. If your vehicle’s serpentine belt looks to be deteriorating, loose, cracked, or is producing a squealing sound, it’s more than likely time for a replacement. High temperatures can accelerate wear on a serpentine belt, so you should inspect it more often during the summer.
• Check each of your tire’s inflation and fill them if necessary. Driving on under-inflated tires can cause them to overheat and blowout as it is, but when you’re driving on hot streets in Covington, your tires may be even more susceptible. Keep them properly inflated, and you won’t find yourself stranded on the side of the road on a humid afternoon.

• Inspect your air conditioning system. If you feel like your air conditioning is weaker than normal, you can start by replacing your cabin air filter. If this doesn’t help, you’ll likely need to schedule an appointment at a local service center to have a professional technician check the system for blockages or other issues.
• Summer in Independence brings plenty of rain. Installing a new set of wiper blades will help you maintain good visibility, especially when you’re driving in a downpour.
• Keep your windshield clean. It may seem trivial, but a dirty windshield can appear hazy on a hot day, reducing your visibility. While you’re at it, a full car wash will help keep things like bugs and pollen from sticking to and damaging your exterior paint.

Rely On Tom Gill Chevrolet for Car Maintenance and More!

Here at Tom Gill Chevrolet, we’re proud to offer you the Tom Gill Advantage to help you save on service and summer maintenance, offering Chevy advantage perks like unlimited car washes, lifetime oil changes, and lifetime tire rotations, just to name a few! Have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us online or give us a call at (859) 228-7001!