You’ve just hit the road, the sun is shining high, your favorite songs on the loop, your friends in the back seat singing along with excitement and nobody has said the dreaded ‘are we almost there yet?’ Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
Until the car breaks down midway through the journey and it starts to rain and then everybody starts being at each other’s throats.
To help prevent your dream trip turning into a nightmare, you should know about the following summer car problems and how you can avoid them.
Long-distance drives in summer, often with several entertainment devices connected, can lead to your car’s battery wearing out a little too quickly.
What to do?
First off, you may want to check the age of your battery. It’s ideal that you change batteries every 3 to 5 years. You should also avoid taking lots of short trips and try to go for a long-distance drive to perfectly recharge your battery.
Boiling hot temperatures and the demand of powering up multiple devices can exert a strain on your alternator.
What to do?
In case you notice the red battery warning light flickering, then pull off the road as soon and as safely as possible and call in emergency auto repair services.
Planning on driving through the highway in warm, summer months? You’ve almost got a written invitation for your clutch to fail.
What to do?
It’s very rare for clutches to simply fail, but hot weather isn’t kind to your clutch. They often exhibit signs of damage, like slipping, a heavy or gritty feeling when you press the clutch or a change in biting point. If you suspect your clutch is wearing then get it serviced before heading on your road trip. If you plan to tow a caravan, make sure it’s properly loaded and that your car has the correct towing capacity.
Tires are at risk of punctures and blowouts if not correctly looked after. Both of which can be time-consuming and possibly life-threatening.
What to do?
Make sure you check your tire pressure regularly and keep it topped up to the recommended PSI level. If one tire drops pressure more than others it may be a sign of wear. You should also examine the rubber all around the tire for cracks, rubbing and signs of erosion and make sure you have more than the legal minimum tread on your tires. Don’t forget to double check your trunk for a spare tire.
Car problems can be extremely annoying, but if you know how to avoid or troubleshoot them, at least they won’t make a mess of your perfect road trip.
