DRIVERS have been urged to pay close attention to three car parts as the weather begins to cool after a long period of hot weather.
As the nation saw one of its warmest summers on record, a seasoned mechanic has shared a step-by-step guide to handling the transition to Fall.
A mechanic has revealed three checks drivers must make as the weather turns cooler[/caption]
This year saw temperature records under threat as several cities experienced heat approaching 100F.
Las Vegas, NV, topped the list with an average temperature of 96.5F, which CNN reports was 7.3F above the average for the previous 30 years.
While it was great news for sun-seekers, auto technician John Walter warned motorists that such high temperatures can take a toll on their cars.
This year, AAA recorded close to 800,000 roadside call-outs in the Salt Lake City are alone.
John, who is the association’s chief repair officer for Utah, told KSL News Radio that high heat can lead to faster wear on a number of vital components.
With that in mind, he recommended three “essential checks” you should be making as the weather turns before trying to drive in cold or wet conditions.
Battery
The standard acid battery in a car has an ideal operating temperature of around 80F.
But batteries really don’t like extreme heat or cold, both of which can weaken their output and shorten their lives.
As the mercury ticked over into the 90s, your battery could easily have become damaged well within its usual 3-5 year lifespan.
Odd smells, corrosion on the terminals and poor ignition are all potential signs that it might need replacing.
Tires
If there’s one set material that gets badly worn by heat it’s plastics and their close relative synthetic rubber.
That’s bad news for drivers in warmer parts of the country and makes it all the more critical to perform regular checks.
Always look for cracks in timing belts, hoses and fuel lines as missing these could wreck your car if they go wrong and cost hundreds to repair.
As a rule, the rubber should be quite flexible – if it’s brittle, it’s probably no good.
Likewise, tires should be inspected every few thousand miles to ensure there are no cracks or bulges and that the tread is not worn away.
What makes a car a lemon?
Each law has different parameters on what defines a lemon, but generally, a car is lemon when it’s in the shop for longer than it’s on the road.
Progressive Auto Insurance describes a lemon as a car with “a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive,” though exact parameters vary by state. All 50 states have lemon laws covering new vehicles, but only seven have lemon laws to protect used car buyers.
Federally, however, consumers are protected under U.S. Code Chapter 50 covering consumer product warranties. In layman’s terms, the law dictates that consumers be compensated by the manufacturer when “multiple attempts to repair a vehicle under warranty fail.”
What to do if you think you bought a lemon:
- Research your state’s lemon laws and their exact parameters.
- Contact the dealership, especially if it’s still under factory warranty.
- If the dealership refuses to repair the issue, contact the Automotive Consumer Action Program or the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Send a certified letter to the manufacturer with an explanation of the issue, with documentation and proof that you’ve contacted a dealership.
- Depending on the outcome, you can report the dealership to the DMV for selling a car that needs immediate repairs.
- Consider small claims court.
- Consult an attorney specializing in lemon law through the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
An easy check for the latter is to take a penny and place the rim in one of the tread marks.
If President Lincoln’s entire head is visible then the tire is likely below the legal tread limit for most states.
Make sure to do this at several points across the tire as many states require it to meet the minimum thickness across 3/4 of the surface.
Fluids
Like any liquid, your car’s fluids will evaporate when heated and the higher the heat gets, the faster this happens.
Engines run pretty hot anyway, usually between 195F and 220F.
Combined with higher air temperatures, this can lead to coolant, brake fluid or even engine oil boiling and causing an overheat.
Even if you avoid being stranded on the roadside, low fluid levels can cause significant, and expensive, internal damage.
Pay particular attention to your oil level as letting that drop can cause your engine to seize, with a replacement costing thousands.
