How to get your vehicle prepared for the summer heat, avoid pricey repairs

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Now that we’ve seen our first 100 degree day, the summer heat is getting closer.

These high temperatures can damage your car and cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in repairs.

“There’s a lot of things that need to be checked on your vehicle today, especially cooling systems, air conditioning systems, tires, fluids, leaks – a numerous amount of things. So, before you break down on the road, it’s time to have your car checked,” said Leroy Ingram, director of operations at OOROO.

Neglecting car maintenance can be extremely dangerous, not just for yourself, but for other drivers on the road.

He says batteries hate the heat, a car battery may only last a year in Arizona, so it’s important to have them checked regularly. He also says it’s different for drivers with electric vehicles.

“Electric vehicles actually have cooling fans on the hybrid unit, the inverter unit. There’s not really any need for checking those batteries, but periodically once a year, if the vehicle has a filter on the hybrid unit, it needs to be checked, cleaned and make sure the fan is operational,” he said.

Some things you can look for in your vehicle that warrant a check up is fluid left underneath your vehicle, low pressure from your AC, and of course warning lights on your dash.

Over at U-Wrench, drivers can check out all of these things themselves or with the help of mechanics. They tell their customers that fluids are the most important thing to check in Tucson.

“In Tucson, it’s actually considered extreme climate for pretty much any kind of oil, transmission, anything like that. So, oils are going to break down a lot quicker here than they would in a more mild climate,” Frederick Koeppen said.

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