Instructions On Preparing Your Car For Summer Travel

Spring is the ideal time to get your car ready for the hectic summer driving season ahead. It's advisable to have your vehicle tested before summer's extreme vacation traffic and stop-and-go situation begin earnestly.

The experts at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence offer the following tips on preparing your car:

* Look at the owner's handbook and keep up to the suggested service schedules. Be careful on "regular" vs. "severe" schedules proposed, and determine which is appropriate for your driving conditions and habits.

* Try to find a methodical repair facility with current equipment in the service bays and certified automotive technicians being workers, as demonstrated by trade school qualifications, certificates of advanced course work and training, as well as national certification of the individual technicians by ASE.

* Flush and fill up the cooling system (radiator) as indicated in the service manual's recommendations. The level, form and strength of the coolant should be checked at regular intervals. Make sure the engine has cooled down before detaching the radiator cap. Engine overheating is the most common summer breakdown.

* Have engine performance problems corrected, such as hard starts, rough idling and stalling. You'll get improved gasoline mileage, and you could put off more costly repairs.

* Don't overlook your transmission and brakes. Expensive repairs can be avoided by periodic service. Neglected brakes can create safety issues, too.

* Seek out a qualified auto technician to test the condition of belts, clamps and hoses, but be precautionary by looking for signs of deterioration.

* Have a marginally running air conditioner system checked by a technician qualified to deal with refrigerants. Older units often contain ozone-depleting compounds that could be released into the air through improper or incompetent service.

* Replace the oil and oil filter as detailed in the owner's manual. This easy, inexpensive service can boost the life of your vehicle.

* Change other filters (air, fuel, PCV) as suggested in the service manual.

* Verify the condition of tires, including the spare. Let the tires "cool down" before checking their pressure. Uneven wear, "cupping", vibrations or "pulling" to one side indicates difficulties with your tires or suspension system.

* Exchange your headlights with some good quality aftermarket headlights. Good custom headlights or even just a nice new series of H11 bulbs for your normal lights will make a massive difference when you're traveling in dark. Very rarely do you realize how dim your headlights are until you upgrade. Chances are the winter road grim has ruined your lenses to the point where they actually need to be replaced.

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