Your Summer Automotive Checklist for Nashville, TN

Is Your Vehicle Ready for the Summer?

Summers in Nashville can become sticky and hot. That qualifies as severe driving conditions for many vehicle manufacturers. To prepare your vehicle for these conditions, you’ll want to review this checklist. Then take any needed actions to keep your vehicle in a good working order.

Change your oil. If you haven’t changed your oil all winter or you’ve driven about 5,000 miles, it may be time to schedule an oil change. This will keep your engine properly working.

Replace your wipers. The cold days of winter create brittleness in the wiper components. Scraping snow and ice can even damage the wipers. Replace them immediately if they don’t clear the windshield as they should.

Inspect your A/C. Check to see if your air conditioning is working properly. Schedule a time to have it serviced before the hot days of summer hit to get it topped off.

Check your coolant. It is more difficult for an engine to stay cool during the summer. Having coolant at the proper ratio and level helps to support healthy engine work. You may also wish to consider a radiator flush.

Check your belts and hoses. Changing temperatures mean hoses and belts like to expand and contract. This process can cause them to swell, crack, then leak. Repair any issues right away to prevent a surprise breakdown later on.

Inspect your tires. Look for even wear patterns on your tires. Have them rotated, if necessary. Look for bulges. The changing temperatures encourage the tires to lose air pressure at night, so always do a full inspection before driving. Make adjustments as necessary.

Check your battery. Test your battery to ensure it is still performing well. Summer heat can prevent batteries from delivering enough current to start your car.

Clean your vehicle. Over the winter months, you may track in a lot of debris, including salt, into your car. Some of this debris may be corrosive and be slowly damaging your vehicle. Before summer hits, have your vehicle fully cleaned. Be sure to remove floor mats to vacuum underneath them.

The warm months of summer can come on quickly. Use this checklist to be prepared for the changing seasons. That way, your vehicle will continue to meet or exceed your expectations when it comes to its performance.