Simple Check-ups for Optimal Auto Repair

Now that summertime is here, you’re likely gearing up for some great road trips and vacations. While you’re planning, packing, and mapping, don’t forget to take your car to the shop for a checkup. The last thing you want is to get halfway to Tihuana and have your car breakdown in the middle of nowhere. It won’t take you long, and it can save you a lot of hassle down the road (literally). Call to make an appointment for auto repair in Columbus today for some of the more common car problems described below, and you’ll be ready for summer.

Don’t Forget to Check Your Tires

Though summertime often means beautiful sunny skies, summer thunderstorms are the flip side of the season’s coin. Making sure that your tire still has tread is vital to your safety if you’re caught by a storm and facing slick roads and rainy conditions. The hot weather can also alter your tires’ pressure. It’s important to make sure that you check your tire pressure regularly and align it with the pressure limit outlined in your owner’s manual. If your tires are under inflated, you can risk blown tires because of the excess heat and pressure distributed along the sidewalls of the tire. If your tires are overinflated, there will be less of the tires’ surface area touching the road. That can lead to dangerous hydroplaning during those summer storms.

Changing the Oil and Oil Filter

Changing your oil regularly (as often as every 3,000 miles, according to some specialists) is important to your car’s health. Making sure your car has enough oil is especially important during those hot summer road-trips when your car engine has a greater risk of overheating. You can take it to the shop or check the oil yourself with a simple dipstick check. If the oil is too low or too dark, you should probably just go ahead and replace the oil altogether. While you’re at it, change the oil filter too (and dispose of the filter in a plastic bag at your recycling center). These two simple updates can keep your car in good shape; for a more thorough inspection, take your car to a shop for auto repair in Columbus before you start your road trip.