Prepare Your Vehicle For Spring or Be Prepared For a Trip to the Mechanic

Royal Purple Offers Easy Maintenance Tips To Prepare Your Car For Warm Weather

Porter, TX (PRWEB) December 25, 2004 -- With spring just around the corner, its time to make sure your cars ready for the season before warm weather strikes. A few easy steps and few minutes in your driveway could save your car from days or weeks with a mechanic.

Tip # 1 Start In The Driveway
The obvious place to start is under the hood; however, check the driveway first. An oily spot where you park your car warns of a potential problem that should be inspected by a professional.

Tip #2 Check Your Fluid Levels
All fluid levels should be checked and topped up as needed (engine oil, transmission, cooling system, power steering, brake fluid and washer fluid). Fluids are the lifeblood of your car. Purchasing and regularly changing high quality fluids will make a meaning difference in your cars performance and reliability.

Tip #3 Avoid Overheating
Overheating, especially as the weather gets warmer, is the leading cause of preventable breakdowns and one of the main areas where prevention is much cheaper than the cure. Simply, frying the engine means a very expensive repair. If your antifreeze is more than a couple of years old, play it safe and flush and fill your cooling system before your trip.

Tip #4 Add A Coolant
An inexpensive and easy insurance against engine heat is to add a coolant such as Purple Ice® to your radiator. Its been shown to reduce engine temperature as much as 30 degrees F or more and its commonly used to help keep notoriously hot racing engines much cooler. It also helps condition seals to prevent leaks.

Tip #5 Upgrade Your Oil
Another way to reduce engine heat is to upgrade to high performance synthetic motor oil. Synthetic motor oils disperse heat faster and have a lower coefficient of friction than mineral-based motor oils; this help reduce engine heat. For instance, Royal Purples high performance synthetic motor oil has been shown to decrease engine temperatures up to 12% while improving horsepower and fuel economy (data on independent testing of their products is available at www.royalpurple.com).

Tip #6 Check Your Belts And Hoses
After checking and/or adding fluids, check the belts and hoses. A worn or loose belt can cause the engine to overheat. A cracked belt or a hose that is unusually soft or overly hard needs replacing. Make sure hose clamps are tight, and check the ends for cracks or corrosion. Because extreme heat can cause leaks and other damage, keep an eye out for hard, blistered or spongy hoses. If any of these warning signs are present, replace the hoses immediately. It's also a good idea to keep spare belts in your trunk, especially if your vehicle has a single serpentine or multi-v belt. If this belt fails, you're going nowhere.

Tip #7 Dont Forget About Battery Terminals, Hinges And Latches
Battery terminals should be cleaned, tightened and lubricated. Its also good to clean and lubricate hinges and the hood latch. Make sure the battery terminals and hold downs are tight. If corrosion is present, clean it with a mixture of baking soda and water, and put on a set of battery washers to keep corrosion from coming back. Top any low battery cells with distilled water.

Tip #8 Check Your Tires
Lastly, inspect your tires. All tires should be properly inflated, including the spare. Refer to the sidewall of your tire for the proper pressure level. Properly inflated tires increase gas mileage, lengthen tire life and are much less susceptible to blowouts.

Final Thoughts
Properly preparing your car for summer is simple and doesnt require a lot of time or technical expertise. The payback in reduced risk of a preventable breakdown and improved performance is well worth the effort.

Royal Purple makes synthetic products for all your automotive needs, including engine oils, transmission fluids, gear oil, coolant additives, fuel system cleaner, power steering fluid, chain lubricant, grease, penetrating lubricant, assembly lube and shop compressor lubricant. For more information on Royal Purple or its products, contact Royal Purple Ltd., One Royal Purple Lane, Porter, TX 77365, 281-354-8600, www.royalpurple.com.

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