12 Vehicle Tips for Your Late-Summer Adventures, Carpools

Road trips, heat, dust, road construction–summer driving puts your vehicle to the test. Address those critical–and often unseen–issues before your vehicle becomes the back-to-school and sports taxi.

Addressing summer-related wear and tear starts with a visual inspection. Look for obvious problems such as burned-out lights, cracked lenses, window chips, cuts or scrapes on tire treads, leaks or drips, uneven tire wear and cuts or scrapes on the sidewall.

“Given the unusually hot summer in 2022, it’s a good idea to get your vehicle checked and serviced before going on late summer adventures and before cooler weather arrives,” said Tony Molla, former vice president at Automotive Service Association and expert mechanic. “Heat can be especially hard on a vehicle engine and other components, especially the battery.”

Also, take a quick look beneath your vehicle. Do you see any evidence of drips?

Other problems may not be so obvious: worn brake pads, deterioration of ball joints, cracked hoses, dirty air and fuel filters.

Address some common end-of-summer tips for your family’s back-to-school safety:

1. Alignment. Encounter any road construction this summer? Curbs and potholes? Freeway obstructions? Problems with your vehicle alignment can cause steering issues and tire damage.
2. Washer fluid. Check washer fluid to clean your windshield during early fall rains. Roads are the dirtiest in the fall after dust and grime collect on roads during the summer.
3. Inspect tires. Use a pressure gauge to check air pressure and check for wear. Check the spare as well.
4. Wiper blades. Hot summer sun hardens and cracks wiper blades. Replace them to keep your windshield streak free for your remaining summer outings and back-to-school excursions. And you will be prepared for those random September rains.
5. Cabin air filter. Dust and pollen are the bane of summer. Keep your cabin clean and reduce allergens by replacing cabin air filters. It’s an affordable way to improve cabin health for all occupants.
6. Leaks and drips. Have a certified technician examine the exhaust system for leaks as well as common areas that could lead to serious problems: ball joints, brake fluid lines, engine gaskets and radiator fluid.
7. Battery charge test. Before you head out for one last summer adventure, get your vehicle battery inspected. An old battery may go dead on a cool mountain night.
8. Headlights and taillights. Do your headlights and taillights work properly? Are the high beams directed at the proper angle? Bright bulbs can make travel safer, especially on winding roads and in school zones. It’s an inexpensive way to see and be seen.
9. Climate control system. Do the heater and defroster work properly? Yes, it may still be hot outside but the end of summer is a great time to check your vehicle’s heating system before it gets too cold.
10. Engine belts. Like other rubber-based components, belts wear quickly and may stretch in hot weather. For example, serpentine belts stretch and crack over time. A tensioner on the belt helps them stay taut, yet it may need adjustment. Get all engine belts checked for signs of wear.
11. Tire pressure. One sure way to wear down your tires includes having too little pressure or, as can happen in summer, too much pressure. Keep a digital pressure pump handy. They’re inexpensive and a fast way to check tires at home. “It’s also a good idea to check the condition of your tires when you check the air pressure,” said Molla. “Look for uneven tread wear, and check the tread depth by looking for the wear bars on the tires. If the tread is worn to the point of replacement, you should see a smooth bar across the tread.”
12. Road kit. Are you prepared for nighttime or twilight driving associated with the end of daylight savings? Set aside some useful items that might be helpful if you ever need to pull off to the side of the road or have a breakdown, especially at night. That is especially important when traveling far from home. Include things like flares, LED flashlight, triangle warning sign, battery charging cables, gloves, extra batteries and charger for your mobile devices. Also make sure you have the right tools for changing a tire–car jack and lug wrench (usually found in the spare tire well).