Toyota Service: Getting Ready for the Summer

Summer is just around the corner and temperatures are set to soar. When it comes to preparing your car for a particular season, most people struggle to get past winter. Your car certainly thanks you in Nova Scotia for proper winter preparation, but the fact is there are things you can do for summer, too. Follow our tips below and get your Toyota ready for the summer heat.

1. Check the Air Conditioning and Air Filter

There will be no more depressing feeling this summer if you’re stuck in traffic in Halifax or somewhere else, feeling the heat, only to turn on the air conditioning and discover that no cold air is coming out. Have a professional check the key components of your air conditioning system: the condenser, compressor, refrigerant levels and others. All need to be working in tandem to keep you cool.

While getting your a/c checked out, take a moment to look at the air filter and cabin filter too. You’ll want the filter as clean as possible for the hot weather. It not only helps keep the engine cool and free of dust and particulates, but the cabin air filter keeps out the summer pollen and other things that provoke allergies.

2. Take a Look at Coolant Levels

Your coolant has done its anti-freeze job in the summer and now it’s getting ready to do its cooling thing in the summer. Open up your radiator cap when your Toyota engine is cool and check the levels against the recommendation. If you are low on coolant, then top up. You should consider Toyota’s OEM coolant, or at least one that’s made for Asian-brand cars. These are optimized to work better in Toyotas and will better look after your engine.

3. Keep an Eye on Tire Pressure

Heat will make the air in your tire expand, which can artificially increase tire pressure. If you meticulously keep your tires at or slightly above the recommended psi rating as indicated by your owner’s manual, then be mindful of tire pressure. Lucky for you, all new Toyota vehicles from the last few years have been built with standard tire pressure monitoring systems that will let you know if something is amiss. Just remember that overinflation of your tires can be just as risky as underinflation.

4. Check Your Hoses and Belts

The hoses and belts that keep your Toyota engine going are susceptible to the influence of heat. When they aren’t working properly you not only risk terrible failure of your engine, but you’ll lose power and fuel efficiency at the same time as the engine tries to work and compensate. Hose and belt materials are sensitive to heat, so a pre-summer check up is a very useful step to take.

5. Think About Paint Protection

The roads in Nova Scotia will be busier over the summer period. That being so, there are more cars on the road to throw up debris, dirt and other things that can damage the paint on your Toyota. You could start with some simple paint sealant (artificial wax) on your Toyota to help protect against chemical-based contaminants like bird droppings, tree sap, mud and dirty water. If you want to protect against rock chips and harder debris, you might want to think about paint protection film around the front of your car. There are many options.

6. Keep Your Toyota in the Shade

Finally, too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays can be bad for any car. Both the exterior and the interior suffer at the mercy of ultraviolet radiation, so try to keep your Toyota covered up or shaded during the summer period. You’ll be glad that you did!

When in doubt, or if you run into any trouble with your Toyota, book an appointment with Kentville Toyota to get the issue fixed or otherwise resolved. Kentville Toyota is here to help Nova Scotians enhance their driving lives in every season of the year.