HCS Auto in Houston recommends some simple summer maintenance tips for Honda cars and Toyota Cars
HCS Auto in Houston recommends some simple summer maintenance tips for Honda and Toyota cars. By following these maintenance tips your Honda, Acura, Toyota, Lexus or any other Asian engineered automobile can provide you worry free travel throughout the hot Houston summer
1. Do a maintenance audit. Don't worry, that simply means checking your records to see when your last maintenance was performed and exactly what you had done. Pay particular attention to when your coolant/antifreeze was last changed.
2. Make note of any peculiarities you've noticed lately. Have you noticed any unusual shakes or vibrations in your steering wheel? What about noises, over bumps or while braking? Is your engine starting a bit slower this summer? Have you seen a decrease gas mileage? Things like this could be indications of potential problems. And while a quality repair shop like HCS uses the latest computer diagnostic equipment, your input as the driver is very valuable. So be sure to make note of what you found, see or hear, maybe even smell.
3. Have your tire pressures been checked lately, what about, wear patterns and tread depth? For maximum safety, tire life and fuel economy your tires need to be inflated to the manufacturer's specifications.
Uneven wear patterns could indicate over or under inflated tires, (sometimes caused by a slow leak) incorrect alignment or wheel balance problems.
Tread depth is also a good indicator of remaining tire life. 2/32 of an inch is the minimum safe depth. A bald or overly worn tire is a blowout or flat waiting to happen. Having a blowout on any busy Houston highway is never a safe situtuation for anyone.
Here at HCS we always check your tire pressures and wear patterns when your in for schedule maintencance or just an oil change.
4. Check belts and hoses. Look for visible cracks in hoses and belts. Check tension of you belts and the couplings on your hoses. If you see problems, schedule a visit to HCS Auto in Houston.
5. Check coolant/antifreeze levels. Make sure the car's engine is cool before doing this! If uncomfortable doing it bring it into HCS Auto. If you do check it yourself, topoff levels with a Honda recommended coolant/antifreeze.
6. Check your air conditioner. Is it blowing cool enough? Check it on regular and high settings. Check it on all the fan speeds. Note in Houston's heat it takes a little bit for the A/C to begin cooling down but it shouldn't take too long. If it's slow or too warm you could need an A/C recharge with can be done by yourself or HCS Auto.
7. Change your oil and filter. Houston summer heat is hard on your Honda engine and dirty oil or filter can strain your engine, increasing operating temperatures while reducing engine life with excessive wear and tear.
8. Check you battery. It may surprise you to learn that summertime is the hardest season on batteries. The heat can zap you battery and shorten it's life. Check to see when you last purchased you battery and even if near but not quite at the manufacturer's recommended replacement time, consider having HCS Auto replace it with a new one.
9. Check you stopping ability. Good brakes are critical for safety. Do they feel sluggish? Is it taking longer to stop? Does your foot go further to the floor? These are the types of indications it's time for HCS to service your brakes.
10. Check your spare tire. This last HCS Auto Honda maintenance tip is often overlooked. Check the air pressure in your spare. Few things are worse than needing to change a tire only to discover the spare is flat too.
HCS Auto in Houston recommends these simple summer maintenance tips for Honda cars and other Asianmanufactured cars to help ensure your car is running smooth and performing at peak levels.
Call HCS Auto at 7137894556 to schedule an appointment. We're conveniently located at 3602 Dunvale Road in Houston, just minutes from downtown and the Medical Centers.