First there was CARMAGEDDON! Now it’s SUNPOCALYPSE! Well, no one is saying that except for me. But while Carmageddon wasn’t anything to worry about, this year’s record breaking heat can really harm your car. If you’re not careful, your vehicle could leave you stranded on the side of the road, under the hot summer sun.

You can help your car beat the heat with these five easy tips from AAA:

1. Check your battery. If your car’s battery is more than three years old, it’s a good idea to have it tested. Plus, you should make sure that the battery is tightly secured.

Replace engine coolant and other fluids as necessary.
Photo by Katie Loehr, via Flickr Creative Commons.
2. Replace your car’s coolants. Newer vehicles generally require the coolants to be flushed and replace every five year or 50,000 miles. Older vehicles may need to replace their fluids every 2 years or 24,000 miles.
3. Check your vehicle’s fluids and lubricants. Most fluids also serve as coolants and help keep your vehicle from overheating. Make sure the following fluids are filled to the necessary levels: motor oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and brake fluid.
4. Properly inflate all tires. The combination of an under inflated tire, hot pavement and the friction from braking can increase the possibility of a blowout.
5. Check your air conditioning. If the A/C in your vehicle is not maintaining the temperature like it used to, it could mean that the refrigerant level is low.

If you’re not the type of person who enjoys getting under the hood of your vehicle, you can stop by any AutoNation service center and our certified technicians will check and top off many of your fluids, free of charge.

Now these are great tips for your car, but what about your comfort. Say your car is a fish bowl because you just had to rip out your $50 tint job, you parked in the middle of a parking lot with no shade and it’s over 100°F, what do you do?

How about roll one window down, then go to the other side of the car and open then close the door 5 to 6 times? No, seriously. This little trick can reduce the temperature in your car by 10°F or more. Sure, you may look a little weird, but it beats driving in an oven.

Top photo by Kevin Yezbick, via Flickr Creative Commons.

Tags | carmageddon, Heat, summer, weather