ROANOKE, Va. – As summer weather moves in, mechanics recommend keeping up with regular vehicle maintenance to prevent breakdowns.
“The heat can definitely be a little bit tougher on your car,” Jackson Edwards, automotive technician at Techne Mechanical said. “Your fluids are getting a lot hotter, getting hotter quicker.”
To keep your AC running well, Edwards recommends taking a look at your air filter.
Edwards said keeping your coolant at the right level is essential to preventing a breakdown.
“This is going to be your main reason your car overheats is if this was leaking or if it’s just low on fluid to begin with,” Edwards said.
Drivers should pay attention to the temperature gauge inside their car. If it’s anywhere near hot that could mean your car is overheating and you need to pull over immediately.
AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Morgan Dean said a dead battery could also leave you stranded.
“Batteries typically last 3 to 5 years but extreme weather can shorten that life,” Dean said. “Get that battery tested. They’ll tell you what kind of shape it’s in. If it’s not in good enough shape to get you through the summer, go ahead and replace that battery and have some peace of mind there.”
As the temperatures soar, it may be worth a look under your hood.
“All it is is a snowball effect,” Louis Hartless with Techne Mechanical said. “When you let one thing go and then another thing comes and then you’ve got to do all of this at one time, yeah it would be expensive.”