Summer has arrived. Whether you are hitting the road daily for work or taking that much needed family vacation, car care is vital to making sure you reach your destination safely. Most people want to keep their cars in good condition for as long as possible. Fortunately, there are some basic things that an owner can do to keep an automobile in tip-top shape. Here are some examples.

Rotating the Tires
Rotating the tires on your car prevents excessive wear on one area of a tire. A tire that experiences wear in a single area will need to be replaced sooner than a tire that has been rotated on a regular basis. Plus, rotating the tires can contribute to the safety level of a car. Not surprisingly, excessively worn tires don’t have as much traction as evenly worn ones.

Change the Oil
Changing the oil in a car is one of the simplest and most effective maintenance practices that an owner can perform. An adequate amount of clean motor oil in a car helps all of the parts of an engine work as they should. When a car is low on oil or the oil is dirty, the engine must work harder to operate. This can cause wear and tear on the engine and its parts. It’s a good idea to change the oil every 5,000 miles. That number could change depending on your driving habits. If you want your oil changed by professionals, you may want to go to a place offering auto care.

Check Tire Pressure
Checking the pressure of the tires on your car is another easy maintenance practice. Having proper tire pressure means that you aren’t traveling on a tire that is low on air. Driving on tires that have low pressure can waste fuel, shorten the life of your tires and cause handling problems. It takes just a few minutes to check you tire pressure. Look in your owner’s manual to see what the tire pressure should be. Remember that tires are more likely to lose air during the warm-weather months.

Changing the Air Filter
A clogged air filter in a car reduces the amount of air that gets to the engine. When a car’s engine doesn’t have access to clean air, it can’t operate with efficiency. Changing a car’s air filter on a regular basis allows the air to circulate and keeps your engine running smoothly. The frequency of filter changes depends on how much you drive. Also, the environment may affect the amount of air filter changes your car needs to keep the engine in good, working condition. For instance, your air filter will probably need to be changed with frequency if you drive in a very dusty environment on a regular basis.

Monitor the Weight in Your Car
Finally, you can keep your car in good driving condition by monitoring the amount of items you put inside it. Putting heavy boxes, bags or other items in the trunk causes the engine to work harder to achieve a certain speed. So, it’s a good idea to take any unnecessary parcels out of your car to lighten its load.

Tags Car Car Summer Driving