AUTONEWS

The heat is coming: Three things that can cause problems in your car if you don't fix them in time

These days, when the temperature jumps by 15 degrees during the day compared to the night, and the asphalt becomes hotter, most drivers simply turn on the air conditioner and continue driving. But we forget that our car is not a refrigerator that just plugs into the power supply - it is a machine made of metal, rubber and electronics that really feels these heat waves.

If you don't want your car to leave you on the road just when you are about to go on your first weekend trip, take 15 minutes to do these three things.

1. Tires: pressure is not a "descriptive" category...Forget about pumping "approximately" at the gas station. When the asphalt temperature rises, the air in the tires expands and the pressure increases. Driving with the wrong pressure means two things: tires wear unevenly (and you destroy them prematurely), and the car becomes "floating" in corners instead of precise and stable.

What practice says: Check the pressure only when the tires are cold. Check the sticker on the door frame or in the vehicle manual, because the manufacturer did not prescribe it without reason. And be sure to check the tire profile - if it is old and "bald", no amount of pressure will save you at the first summer rain.

2. Battery: the "silent killer" that does not warn...We all fear winter when the car will not start, but the truth is actually the opposite - batteries "die" the most in the summer. High temperatures under the hood accelerate chemical reactions, oxidation and discharge, which weakens the battery, which is often already at the end of its life.

What practice says: If your battery is older than four years, don't wait for it to surprise you in the parking lot of a shopping mall. Ask a mechanic to test it. It takes a minute, and you will know what you are in for. Once the car does not start - it is too late to think.

3. Wipers: when the glass becomes full of marks...Winter was brutal for the wipers - ice, snow, scraping frozen glass. Now they are greeted by the sun, which dries the rubber to the point that it becomes hard and cracked. The result? When you go to clean the windshield from insects on the highway, the wipers only spread the dirt and create a layer through which you can't see anything.

What practice says: Check the rubbers. If they leave marks or "jump" across the glass, change them immediately. It's not a matter of aesthetics, but of safety - one second of poor visibility at 130 km/h can ruin your entire summer.

A car is not something you just put in and drive, no matter how good it is. These little things don't cost much, and the difference between "I had an inspection" and "I got stuck on the road" often depends on them. Check the tires, test the battery and replace the wiper blades. You will save yourself nerves - and the cost of a tow truck.