4 Tips for Summertime Car Maintenance [video]

Transcript

Preston Miller (Integrity Auto Service): We’re here at Integrity Auto Service — our service department where we do all of the customer maintenance and oil changes and stuff like that. As the summer goes on and it gets hotter outside, your vehicle is more prone to have service issues. So we wanted to come to you today to give you a couple of pointers and a few tips going into summer that will help you out to make sure your car is in tip-top shape.

Tip #1: Coolant

This one’s pretty simple. It’s going to get hot outside, and the #1 killer of anything mechanical is heat. So the first thing you want to do is check your coolant in your car — that’s your antifreeze. It’s pretty simple; most cars make it super simple. Just look at your antifreeze reservoir and make sure not to take the cap off when it’s hot, because it may spray out and burn you. Check it and make sure it’s at the proper level. You also might want to check that coolant and make sure it’s at the right boiling point. Coolant needs to be mixed 50/50 with water, so you want to make sure it’s the right mixture to do its job properly.

Tip #2: Tires and Tire Pressure

A tire that is over- or under-inflated can cause the tire to heat up and prematurely blow out. And you don’t want to have a blow out or a flat tire in the middle of the summer on the side of the highway. So, what you need to do is check on the side of your tire, stamped into the text there will be a recommended PSI. Most tires are 35-45 pounds, and that could vary depending on the vehicle and the tire. Get a tire gauge and check that tire pressure to make sure it’s within those operating specifications.

Tip #3: Fuel Level

Always keep at least a quarter tank of fuel in your car. The reason for that is: your fuel pump is actually submerged in the fuel tank, and the fuel in that fuel tank is what keeps that pump cool. When you run the truck low and there’s just air in there, it can heat it up a lot more, and it can actually cause fuel pumps to go bad. This truck here is running a little low on fuel. We need to get it to the gas station and get at least a quarter tank in it. Always try to refuel before you get below a quarter of a tank — that way, it keeps that fuel pump cool and keeps it working all summer long.

Tip #4: Air Conditioning

Make sure that your air conditioning is working properly because you don’t want to figure out that you have an air conditioner problem whenever we get into the middle of summer, having those 100º+ days we have here in Oklahoma. What we do here at the shop is use a small thermometer that goes in your air conditioning vents. And, as you can see, it’s about 82º outside today in the shop, and this truck is getting down to about 45º coming out of the vents. So, nice cold air coming out. No issues here, so we’re going to be nice and cool driving this truck. You definitely want to make sure that this is working properly before you get into the middle of summer and the hottest days.

Schedule an Appointment

That’s our Four Summertime Tips on how to keep your car in tip-top shape going into summer. As an Integrity customer, we already offer you $15 oil changes for the life of your loan. If you come in anytime between now and the end of July 2019, we’re also going to throw those four tips into our multipoint inspection free of charge. We’ll do all that for you! We’ll check your coolant, your tire pressure, your air conditioning — we’ll make sure that everything is good to go this summer. All you need to do is give Matt a call and make an appointment. Service after the sale!

Matt Williamson (Integrity Auto Service): Now that’s Integrity!