How To Save Money With Summer Driving

I wrote this article in 2008. I hope it helps you to get your auto in shape for the summer driving. The following suggestions should help your autos run more efficient and prevent costly breakdowns.

I am often ask how to protect your auto? Most want to know what they can do to get the most out of their autos. First, I recommend  you change your engine oil regularly. I would increase the viscosity of my oil at least for summer driving. I personally use the higher viscosity oil in my autos year round.

I know what many are thinking? What is oil viscosity? Viscosity is simply the oil’s resistance to flow at a given temperature, usually we refers to viscosity as the thickness of the oil. The lower the viscosity rating or weight, the oil is thinner. The higher the viscosity rating, the oil is thicker. Some oils are also multi-viscous, which means the oil's thickness can change depending on its temperature. Multi-grade oils offer better engine protection than straight weight oils by preventing the oil from becoming too thick when cold, while maintaining a heavier oil weight when hot. The oil still thins out with heat, and thickens up as it cools, but at any given temperature it should measure within the specs for a weight oil at that temperature.

We need to discuss synthetic oils. As a usual rule, conventional oils lack the performance of synthetic oils in the areas of low-temperature performance and high-temperature oxidation stability. The synthetic oils do offer more protection. I personally like the synthetic oils. The synthetics seem to offer more protection for our engines. I recommend you follow your owner’s manual.

How do you know which type of oil to use in your auto? Your vehicle's owner's manual will list the manufacturer's oil recommendations. Many late model autos recommend oil grades of 0W-40, 5W-20, 5W-30. The owners manual should tell you what grade of oil to use in different climates, and temperatures.


Our transmissions are often overlooked. It is important to service your transmission. I recommend changing the fluid and filter the old fashion way. Service according to your owner manual, hard winter driving can be hard on a transmission. Many transmission problems come from overheating. We often overheat our transmissions when we tow heavy objects and continuous stop and go traffic. Winter driving in snow can overheat the tranmission especially rocking the vehicle from the snow when one gets stuck. The transmission fluid burns, at higher temperatures causing it to losing its lubricating quality. The fluid becomes oxidized leaving deposits all over inside the transmission. Not changing the fluid, too little fluid, using wrong type of fluid, sooner or later, this will results in transmission failure.

The Coolant or antifreeze mixture is essential to keeping your engine protected. The mixture of coolant and water inside your radiator needs to be a 50:50 mixture of antifreeze and water. This is important to protect your engine. During freezing winter weather too little antifreeze can put your engine and the components of the coolant system in danger of freezing and cracking. The hot summer heat can cause an auto with low coolant to overheat. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When you combine the water with an equal amount of antifreeze, the new mixture boils at a higher temperature. The coolant also adds some protection to hoses and prevents some rust and corrosion. The coolant system needs to be flushed every 3 years or less depending on the PH of your coolant.

The belts and hoses are also essential to the operation of the engine. The belts and hoses during the winter months are subject to hot and cold temperature fluctuation. The summer heat is also hard on belts and hoses check the belts and hoses. I recommended having them checked before leaving on a summer vacation if you are driving. If they break, you can be strand on the side of the road in the hot summer heat.

The battery is next on our list. The winter is tough on your battery. I recommend a high cold cranking amps battery.  Battery's are rated by CCA, cold cranking amps. This term is used to define a battery's ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. The rating is the number of amps a new, fully charged battery can deliver at 0° Farenheit for 30 seconds, while maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts, for a 12 volt battery. The reason I suggest a high CCA rating, is because higher the CCA rating greater is the starting power of the battery.

Many are shocked to discover the hot summer heat is also hard on a battery. Hopefully, the following suggestions can help prevent you from being stranded on the side of the road. All batteries more than three years old should be tested since there is a higher rate of failing with older batteries. This is a good time to clean the posts and connections. They need to be corrosion free. I recommend that you always carry jumper cables. The red is always put on the positive post (+) and the black cable is put on the negative (-).

This is also a good time to check all fluids. Let's not forget rear-end and other parts that need to be check for gear oil. See your owner manual for types and level of fluids in each system. I feel like I need to interject here. It is extremely important to fill to proper levels of fluids and use proper filters.

The next item we are going to address is tire pressure. It is vital to have properly inflated tires. Read your owner's manual if available, check driver’s door, or glove box to find the correct tire pressures. The tire pressure specifications are for when the tires are cold. Therefore be sure to check the pressure when the tires are cold. This means before the auto has been driven. Improper air pressure may lead to an accident. There are other reasons the correct tire pressure is important. It provides the optimal contact between the road and your tires. This helps your tires wear properly which extends the life of the tires greatly. Proper inflation also improves your fuel mileage. Your summer tire pressure may need to be adjusted to compensate for hotter operating conditions. Do remember to check your spare tire’s pressure bi-monthly especially before trips.


We need to be able to see thus wipers and wiper fluid are the next are to check out. The wiper blades need to be changed once a year. The reason is because the blades can dry out; when this happens they need to be replaced. The wipers can start separating the rubber can separate from the wiper. This can scratch your windshield. Now that we have change the wiper blades, lets check and fill the wiper fluid. This is especially needed for the summer with the increase in bugs, pollen, and dust. Not that our wipers are new and we have fluid lets clean the windshield. I recommend clean windshield, grille, hood, headlights, and bumper at least weekly. Bugs flying into our auto can damage the paint. The headlights on our autos need to be cleaned and polished for summer driving. At this time, check to see if all you lights are functioning properly.

We are ready for summer driving. I do recommend an emergency kit for the trunk. The following items are suggested. I keep them in my trunk. A First-Aid kit,  A Flashlight, Extra Batteries, Triangle Reflector Kit, Working Gloves, a Change of Clothes, including Walking Shoes, Dried Fruit, Nuts, or other Non Perishable Food, Bottle Water, Sport Drink, Hand Sanitizer, Paper Towels, Clean Towel, Jumper Cables, A Gallon of Antifreeze, Duct Tape, Wire, Electrical Tape, Green Slime Sealant for Tires, and A few Hand Tools. These items can come in hand if you are stranded on the side of the road.

In conclusion, the above maintenance if done properly should extend the life of your auto. Changing oil, transmission fluid, checking belts and hoses, and checking coolant are the first step to ensure your auto will last many years to come. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of spring and the upcoming summer.