Summer Maintenance Tips in El Dorado, AR

Unforeseen issues with your vehicle ruining your summer road trip? Don’t let a flat tire or a dead battery dim your excitement for your summer fun, because there’s nothing better than hitting the road on a new adventure. To avoid some of these pitfalls on the way to your next activity, take a look at some of our tips for summer maintenance to discover how you can thoroughly inspect your model and find out more about an issue that needs to be fixed before driving off on your next road trip.

Air Conditioning

Testing the air conditioning is simple — just start your engine and turn on the air conditioning. It may not get cold instantly, but in a few minutes, cold air should be blowing from the vents. Is the air not getting cool, or does the system seem to be malfunctioning in some way? You may have a leak that is causing a low refrigerant level. This is definitely a situation you’ll want resolved because of the heat we usually experience here in Arkansas during the summer months. If you’re confident in your car repair skills, you can locate and repair the leak yourself, or schedule a service appointment with our team and let us take care of it for you.

Tire Condition

Because tires gain or lose pressure when the outdoor temperature changes, inspecting your tires at the start of the season is crucial. Underinflated tires wear out sooner than tires with the correct pressure, and since we’re in a warmer season, now is the perfect time to make sure your tires are at the right PSI (as indicated in your owner’s manual or sometimes a sticker in your car door). Doing an overall inspection for nails or any other debris is important to avoid a potential slow leak, and tread depth can be determined using the penny test. Simply take the penny and put it in your tire’s tread, having Lincoln face you while upside down. Can’t see the top of his head? You have great tread depth! On the other hand, if you can see his head or hair, it’s probably time for new tires because you’re at a higher risk for blowouts. We make replacing or rotating your tires easy at our service department!

Fluid Levels

Another significant item to check at the beginning of a new season is your vehicle’s fluid levels. These are fluids like oil, windshield wiper fluid, brake fluid, power-steering fluid and coolant. The most crucial fluid in your vehicle for the summer? Coolant. It helps your engine stay cool and keeps it from overheating, which is a frequent problem in the warmer summer months. Not sure how to check your fluids? Our team would be happy to assist.

Windshield Wipers

During the winter and spring months, your wipers most likely got a lot more use than usual because of heavier rain or persistent pollen that stuck to your windshield. Windshield wipers can wear out more quickly during these months, and if you’ve noticed that yours aren’t as effective as they used to be or they’re making an annoying squeaking sound when they’re on, they need to be replaced.

Cabin Air Filter

Is the air inside your car’s cabin smelling a little… off? It might be time to change your cabin air filter, since it’s what you and your passengers are breathing every day as you drive. Changing your filter on a regular basis will give you fresher, cleaner air circulating in your vehicle, and it’s simple to change since it’s located behind your glovebox. At Karl Malone Chevrolet, we’re proud to sell genuine OEM parts made just for your vehicle, and we’d be happy to help you find the correct filter for your model.

Other Vehicle Issues

There are other issues that could plague your Chevrolet during the summer, like an overheating engine, a dead battery, squealing brakes or anything else that might pop up on your dashboard. For any of these, know you can trust the service team here at Karl Malone Chevrolet. Our team of technicians will do a thorough inspection of your vehicle and then fix it to ensure it’s again safe to drive. We also love to answer any questions you might have about how to prepare your vehicle for other types of weather as well as its overall condition.

If you’d like to learn more about summer maintenance or have any other questions, contact us today or stop by Karl Malone Chevrolet at 1830 West Hillsboro, El Dorado, AR 71730. We look forward to serving our customers near Magnolia, Camden, Warren and Monticello.