4 Ways To Help Your Car To Survive Extreme Heat

Living in Nevada means dealing with the heat, and if you are a car owner it means you need to make sure your car is ready to deal with the heat. Extreme heat can push a vehicle past its limits and some drivers will find themselves stranded at the roadside because of it. To help you and your car survive the Las Vegas, summer we’ve put together four top tips on how to help your car stay functional in extreme heat.

Read More: Basic Car Maintenance: What Can You Do Yourself?

Surviving In The Sun

1. Protecting Your Battery – Heat and vibration are a battery’s two worst enemies, leading to internal breakdown and eventual failure. While there isn’t much you can do about the heat, you can make sure your battery isn’t vibrating by checking its mounting is secure. Extreme heat can also lead to the battery fluid evaporating, leading to corrosion on terminals and connections. The best way to avoid this is to make a habit of cleaning any corrosive build up from the battery terminals and cable clamps, and ensure the clamps are tight enough that they will not move.

2. Maintain Your Cooling System – Your engine drives your car forward by utilizing the explosive power of gasoline, so it no wonder that it gets a little hot at times. During the summer months, it can be hard to bleed off that heat and letting it build up can damage your engine. That’s why it is so important to keep your cooling systems well maintained. Over time, engine coolant can be contaminated and the additives it contains that protect your engine are depleted. That’s why the system should be flushed and the coolant replaced periodically. Most modern cooling formulations only need to be changed every five years and 50,000 miles.

3. Avoiding Tire Damage – Extreme heat can cause changes in air pressure within your tires, leading to over or under inflation. Driving on under-inflated tires not only affects the handling and braking of a vehicle, but also it can cause tires to overheat and increase the likelihood of a blowout. This problem becomes even more of a concern when road temperatures are extremely high. During the hotter summer months, make sure you check your tires regularly and keep them at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

4. Keep Your Car Hydrated – In extremely hot weather, cars need fluids almost as much as people do. Engine fluids not only work to carry heat away from critical components of your car but they also lubricate your engine. If the fluid runs low, this lubrication and cooling process is interrupted, potentially damaging your engine. During the summer, make a habit of checking all vehicle fluids including motor oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and brake fluid and making sure they are filled to the appropriate levels.

Written by:
Rich Heinrich
Master Instructor, Emeritus