6 parts of your car that need special care at the beginning of the hot season

During the hot season in Vietnam, the outdoor temperature can rise above 40 degrees Celsius, causing your car to have more problems than in the cold season, requiring special care.

Discussing this issue, auto engineer Duong Trung Kien - Director of Kien Phong Auto Service Workshop (Cau Giay, Hanoi) said that car parts are like other types of machinery, easily degrading quickly when exposed to harsh environments such as high temperatures.

Therefore, the beginning of Summer like now is the right time for us to maintain and take care of the parts that are "vulnerable" to the temperature. This helps ensure the performance and safety of the vehicle.

Many car parts need special care right from the beginning of Summer. Photo: Hoang Hiep

Below are 6 parts that auto engineer Duong Trung Kien pointed out and advised car owners to pay attention to taking care of right from the beginning of summer:

1. Air conditioning system

Car air conditioning is an indispensable part and is used continuously in hot weather, so checking and maintaining the air conditioning is extremely important, even when the system is still operating normally at the beginning of summer.

Normally, the car needs to be checked for coolant and lubricating oil of the air compressor (air conditioner); check the fan and air conditioner filter to clean, repair or replace if necessary.

A technician is cleaning the air conditioning condenser of a car. Photo: Hoang Hiep

In addition, the driver should also check the condition of the condenser and evaporator in the car. If there is dirt after a period of use, these parts should be cleaned so that the air conditioning system cools quickly and deeply, while also helping to save fuel for the car.

2. Cooling system

The hot weather of summer causes the engine temperature to increase rapidly. This causes the cooling system in general and the coolant in particular to operate at full capacity, leading to easy loss.

Therefore, drivers need to check the car's coolant regularly and add it immediately when it is low, to avoid the car's mechanical system having to operate in an overheating state, causing damage, even causing the car to be stuck on the road.

Automotive technical experts say that coolant must be replaced and supplemented with a specialized type of water (usually blue or pink) because this type of solution has the ability to cool faster and prevent scale build-up after a period of use.

Check the wiring system, connections and water level in the auxiliary water tank to ensure the cooling system is still working properly. Illustration: Hoang Hiep

3. Lubricants

In addition to lubricating the internal parts of the machine, motor oil also helps reduce engine temperature. In hot weather, motor oil degrades faster, significantly reducing its lubricating effect.

Similar to coolant, engine oil also needs to be constantly checked for quantity and quality and promptly replenished and replaced according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The oil change period for cars is usually from 5,000 - 8,000 km, depending on the car model and engine oil type. For older cars, the oil change period may be shorter.

At the beginning of Summer, if it's close to the time to change the oil, don't be stingy, invest in a new can of oil to help your car run more smoothly and stably.

4. Battery

According to experts, summer with high temperature will make the reaction happen faster and more easily damage the internal structure of the battery than cold season. In addition, high temperature along with high humidity of summer also makes the battery easily lose the balance of electrical pulse, causing short circuit and fire, which is very dangerous.

Therefore, you should check the condition of the battery at the beginning of the hot season, especially the connections and battery terminals to see if there is any white powder. If there are any strange phenomena, you should check and replace another battery of the right type to feel more secure when using the car.

5. Tires

Tires are the only part of the vehicle that comes into direct contact with the road surface when the vehicle is moving. In the summer, the temperature of the asphalt can reach over 70 degrees Celsius, combined with friction, making the tire susceptible to the risk of exploding while moving, which is very dangerous.

Tires need to be checked carefully during hot season. Illustration: Hoang Hiep

To minimize the risk of tire blowouts, drivers should check their tires carefully, especially before long trips and on hot days. If the tires are too worn or have been used for more than 5 years, do not hesitate to buy a new set of tires.

6. Wipers, windshield washer fluid

The wiper is a part that does not work regularly, but if there is a sudden storm, this is a very important detail, directly affecting visibility and safety while driving.

Rubber or plastic wiper blades are also susceptible to damage when exposed to too much sunlight, so you should check this part regularly. If the wiper feels unclean, leaves streaks on the windshield, or makes a "squeaking" sound due to friction between the wiper blade and the glass, you should replace the wiper blade with a new one.

In addition, in the summer, you should also pay attention to the windshield washer fluid because this solution not only lubricates the wiper blades, helping to wipe water and dirt more cleanly, but also has the effect of reducing heat for the windshield surface. The windshield washer fluid should be supplemented with a specialized solution to ensure the best performance of the wipers.

Hoang Hiep