The Most Common Summer Car Issues

July 2, 2021 Published by Writer Leave your thoughts

Every season brings its own set of unique challenges and issues for vehicle owners. With summer having arrived, what are some of the most common summer car problems?

When you think summer, you think heat. It comes as no surprise, then, that many of the most common car problems experienced in the summer are either caused by or exacerbated by hot and humid conditions.

Let’s take a look at some of these common summer car issues and how you can address them:

Overheating: This is probably the most obvious summer-related car problem: vehicles that overheat, especially when the weather is hot and sunny. It’s important to remember to keep the coolant in your vehicle at sufficient levels. Always use a 50/50 coolant/water mixture, and only add water by itself when you’re in an emergency situation, because it could potentially cause corrosion in the engine if you rely on it too much. Check your coolant levels before you do a lot of summer driving to make sure you’re going to be good for the season.
AC failure: Nobody wants to be without air conditioning while doing long stretches of driving in hot weather. Opening the windows can help with ventilation, but it won’t be the same. Vehicle ACs can experience outages when there are problems with the blower, fuses or other components, which you should have checked by a mechanic.
Tire pressure: Major temperature swings can wreak havoc on tire pressure consistency. Make sure you keep your tires inflated to the level recommended by the manufacturer. Most gas stations will have cheap air pressure pumps that will allow you to fill up all your tires for a couple bucks. While you’re at it, be sure to check the condition of your treads—if your tires are starting to get bald, it may be time to replace them.
Hot interiors: Of course, it’s important to make sure your air conditioning works reliably throughout the summer. But how do you prevent your vehicle from getting too hot inside even when it’s parked? The easiest solution is to simply park in the shade, but you can also cover up your windshield with a sunshade to keep the hot sun from beating down on your car. Whatever you do, never leave children or dogs inside your car when it’s hot.
Running out of gas: This probably sounds like a really dumb problem to have, but it does occur more during the summer than any other time of the year because there are more people taking extended road trips through very sparsely populated areas. When you’re out in the middle of nowhere, you need to make sure you take advantage of gas stations when you see them. In some parts of the country, that might be the last one you see for a couple hours of highway driving.

For more information about how you can deal with some of the most common summer car issues, contact us today at M & M Tire & Service Center.