Summer Prep for Your Vehicle: Cooling System & Exterior Protection Tips

When you read a poem by Shakespeare or any English poet about summer, you often end up wondering why they explain summer with such bliss. The thing is, their summers are nothing compared to Indian summers. Indian summers are some of the harshest summers in the world; the average temperature here reaches a whopping 30-45°C, and going out without a car seems next to impossible.

But what about the vehicle? The vehicle itself faces a lot of wear and tear in this heat, and a coolant to keep it cool becomes super important. But what is it? How to do it? These questions naturally pop up, and hence, in this article, we’ll dive deep into coolant and other aspects to help learn how you can keep your car cool and protected this summer.

Cooling System Check: Radiator & Coolant Care

You need to constantly monitor your coolant levels to make sure your radiator is in optimum health. To do that:

• Look for a translucent plastic tank near the radiator; that’s the coolant reservoir.
• It generally comes with min/max markers. Make sure the coolant is between the min and max tank; if it’s below the min mark, top it off with the same type of coolant you already use.
• However, if the coolant appears rusty or discolored compared to a fresh one, it should be changed. Coolant should be changed every 30000 to 50000 miles.

It is recommended to use high-efficiency coolants as they reduce the overall heat of your engine, making your engine run quite smoothly without any kind of overheating. These car coolants also come with rust and corrosion protection materials, keeping your engine in check. It also reduces the overall load on the water pump and other cooling components.

Engine Protection: Choosing the Right Engine Oil & Filter

A lot of you might not know this, but engine oil deteriorates in the scorching heat of Indian summers. In such a scenario, it is important to keep your oil health in check. Firstly, to make sure that your engine runs smoothly, you need to change your engine oil every few weeks. A regular oil change improves the longevity of your engine, but every single engine oil comes with some form of impurities that you wouldn’t want inside your engine.

To tackle this issue, the best thing you can do is use a good-quality engine oil filter; now, oil filter prices aren’t that high, and you can get good-quality oil filters under ₹200. Also, try to use synthetic engine oil as that has the highest longevity when it comes to Indian summers. By keeping your engine oil health in check, you’re not only doing a good service to your car, but saving a lot of money in the long run.

Exterior Protection: Shields Against Sun & Dust 

You need to wash your car every 2 weeks in this scorching summer. It serves the purpose of keeping it cool both internally and externally. It also cleans off dust and pollutants, which are the primary aspects of car exterior protection, helping with overall maintenance. 

You should also apply a good quality wax to increase your car’s exterior protection. Waxing not only enhances the vehicle’s shine but also safeguards the paint from fading and oxidation caused by sun exposure. It’s advisable to wax your car every three months for optimal protection. If you use a two-wheeler, investing in a good helmet cleaner is also important. It cleans your helmet from any sweat and dirt and extends the helmet’s lifespan. Speaking of motorcycles, the next point is worth your attention. 

Chain & Gear Care: Smooth Rides All Summer

Summer is full of dust and pollution, but did you know that the summer dust can badly affect your chains? Yes, the dust sticks to the bike chain lube and deteriorates the quality over time. Due to increased friction, regular cleaning of the bike chain is recommended. To get dirt and old lubrication off, use a specialist chain cleaner or a mild degreaser brushed across. Before adding fresh lube, ensure the chain is completely dry. For every link, use the suitable chain lube to provide equal coverage. Since dry lubrication draws less dirt, it is better in dry, dusty environments. On the other hand, wet lubes are appropriate for damp surroundings but could draw more dirt in dry ones.

But cleaning the chain regularly isn’t possible in this busy schedule, so what can we do? We should get the chain and gears every 300-500 km to ensure maximum life of the chains. If you run your bike through rain, reapply the grease as rainwater can wash it off.

Conclusion

Protecting your vehicle from scorching summers is quite important. Using a proper coolant not only cools down your car or bike, but it also increases the longevity of your vehicle. Here at Motul, we have all these products which fit your daily needs. Explore the options and choose the best fit as per your vehicle’s needs!