OHIO — When it's really hot in the summer, vehicle maintenance might seem insignificant. But if you thought keeping your car cool wasn't important, think again.

What You Need To Know

  • Car batteries have a high failure rate during dramatic temperature changes, especially overnight
  • “Hot weather is hard on a battery. If you live in a hot, humid climate, the normal lifespan of a battery can be anywhere from 3 to 5 years. it can go down to 24 months in those warmer climates," AAA said.
  • Be sure to top off all fluids, especially coolant
  • Be sure to check tires to make sure that they're not over-inflated or under-inflated

“It is a very big deal. This heat does do a lot of damage to vehicles, especially if they're not maintained well,”  said Stephen Richards, service director at Masterworks Automotive & Transmission in Cleveland. He also said one of the first things to stay on top of during hot weather is coolant.

“A lot of the newer vehicles have plastic cooling systems. Most of the system is plastic, and when the coolant hasn’t been serviced, it can actually turn the coolant acidic and eat the plastic from the inside out," he said.

Richards explained it’s important to have coolant tested for acidity because, “if it’s way too acidic, once it gets hot like this, so the car doesn't eat the plastic parts and leave you stranded.”

Richards said the next car care factor to stay on top of during hot summer months is “very crucial” so much it almost can’t be said enough.

“Batteries, batteries, batteries. They have a high failure rate during dramatic temperature changes that we have, especially overnight, where we could change 50 to 60 degrees in an evening. Batteries are not designed to operate that way, and they will fail at a regular rate during the summertime,” Richards said. “So if your battery is bad, the summertime will make your battery way way worse,”

“Hot weather is hard on a battery,” AAA Safety Adviser Lynda Lambert said. “If you live in a hot, humid climate, the normal lifespan of a battery can be anywhere from three to five years. It can go down to 24 months in those warmer climates.”

In addition to batteries, AAA said there are two more things to keep an eye on.

“You also want to have all of your fluid levels topped off, because in the heat, fluid can evaporate. And we're talking about things like motor oil, your transmission fluid, your power steering fluid, and especially coolant because you don't want your engine to overheat," Lambert said. “Then you want to check your tires. You want to make sure that they're properly inflated and air expands in the heat. So that can cause either over-inflated tires or it can cause under-inflated tires. And what happens when they're under inflated? there's excessive friction on hot roads, and it increases the chances of you having a blowout.”

Lambert explained that during excessive heat, it’s important to look out for car, as well as yourself.  

“Park in the shade if you can. Park in a garage if you can,” Lambert added. “Crack your windows — that all helps to ventilate the car.”