Service Tips And Advice Get Ready For Summer Driving
School will be out in a few weeks and families across the country will be taking longer trips in their vehicle. For most, a trip to a cottage or to see new sights will be a happy and enjoyable experience, but for some, vehicle problems on the road will interrupt travel plans or can even cancel them completely. Here are a few tips to help prevent vehicle problems during your travels. Checking tire pressures once every two weeks is often enough when near home, but if you are driving long distances, check them regularly. A tire that is low on pressure may have been damaged or picked up a nail. Often you can detect a problem
forces put on them. This is especially true of front wheel drive vehicles. Uneven tire wear indicates the need for a wheel alignment, which increases tire life while improving fuel economy. If you see bands of solid rubber (tread wear indicator) going across the tread of the tire, then there is only 2 millimeters of tread remaining and the tires are due for replacement. Next, check all the fluid levels. If there is coolant showing in the radiator overflow or surge tank, then the radiator should be full. Never remove a radiator cap while an engine is hot because the coolant may boil when the pressure is released
before the tire gets too low, about 17 PSI minimum. Then you can drive very slowly to a local repair shop rather than changing the tire on the side of the road. Be sure to check the spare tire pressure too. A flat spare is of no use to anyone. Keeping your tires at the recommended pressures will increase tread life and decrease rolling resistance of the tire for better fuel economy. Inspect the tire tread while you are checking the pressure. Tires should be worn evenly across the tread surface, but the outside edges of the front tires tend to wear faster due to steering
causing serious burns to anybody nearby. Look at radiator and heater hoses for any spots that may have been rubbing and wearing against another part. This could cause the hose to burst suddenly. Most hoses fail at connections, so if they look cracked or have soft spots, have the hose replaced. Many of the vehicles that have problems on the road are due to overheating or loss of engine coolant. Consider having the cooling system flushed. It will increase the life span of cooling system parts and reduce the possibility of the engine overheating.
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