How to prepare your car for the summer

• Preparation
• What to check
• Advice

As the days get sunnier and longer, it’s important to think about preparing your car for the summer months. Summer is the perfect time for road trips with beautiful scenery, and you wouldn’t want that to be interrupted by your car not working as efficiently as it should.

While many people focus on getting their car ready for winter, there are many things a car owner can do to maintain a vehicle in summer too.

Wax your car

By waxing your car, you’re helping protect the paint from the sun’s powerful UV rays that it’ll inevitably be getting during the summer months.

Check the air conditioning

Although it should be standard practice, many people ignore the AC system until it doesn’t work properly, so it’s a good idea to have it serviced before the summer to ensure you stay cool during those very hot days when you particularly need it. You should also ensure you have cleaned your air vents and it’s always a good idea to have a mechanic double check the condition of your air filter too, as this is vital for improving the air quality in your car and also helps if you suffer from hay fever. Another important check it to make sure there’s enough coolant in the radiator expansion tank, but only take of the cap when the engine is cold!

Check your tyres

As tyre pressures rise and fall depending on the temperature, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your tyres when the temperature keeps changing. It might not be a gradual change to your tyres either, it can change overnight, or over a week or month, so keep an eye on them.

Keep an eye on your wiper blades

Due to the UV rays from the sun, it may impact the rubber of your wiper blades, making them crack. If this happens, it’s recommended that you change them as soon as you can because being able to see out of your windscreen is vital to your driving and safety, as you never know when you might get caught in a sudden downpour. And don’t forget to regularly top up your screenwash fluid!

Keep it covered

If you’d like to keep your car’s paintwork in pristine condition, as well as waxing you may want to consider investing in a car cover in the summer so it’s protected from the sun and any debris that may be around, such as falling leaves or sap from trees.

You might also want to think about getting hold of some insect and bird lime remover, as the chances of being struck by either are greater during the summer and, if left untreated, can cause issues with your car’s paintwork.

Be prepared

As summer is usually the time to get in your car and drive to the beach, or anywhere else picturesque, don’t forget to be prepared for the worst. If you break down, you need to have the essentials with you, including a warning triangle, high-vis vests, a torch, water, a phone charger, and most importantly, the number of your breakdown company. Although it’s not what you want on your summer road trip, it’s vital that you prepare for everything.