Tucson Auto Repair

Its Arizona Car-B-Que Season

As Arizona residents, we all know the horrors of jumping into a hot car during summer months, while wearing shorts and putting on those red hot sunglasses. First, after you have sought medical attention for the seven layers of skin you have lost from the back of your legs and possible permanent branding to your face from those sun glasses, we can look into summer vehicle maintenance for your sun baked car. 

During the summers in Arizona when temperatures regularly reach around 100-120 degrees, the temperatures inside of your vehicle can easily reach around 150 degrees. Some people have even claimed the temperature in their vehicle MUST be around 1 million degrees, but most likely those are exaggerations. But we use these examples to make it easier to understand the affects of our severe weather on vehicles. 

Summer heat and sun cause some serious damage, the worst to plastic and rubber components, ie... tires, belts, hoses, wipers blades, trim, and even your prized dashboard bobble heads. You know, the important stuff. Any part or your vehicle that is petroleum based will surely suffer from our Arizona high temperatures. 

Our legendary heat will also shorten the life of modern, vehicle batteries, which are notoriously poor quality these days. Arguably the last decent battery company was Diehard, made by Sears. That brand was sold off long ago and the quality has definitely suffered. The last Diehard battery I bought lasted me for seven years, my wife's car, 9 years. Now I replace my batteries about every two years. We know some batteries may last longer, but that is the rarity, not the norm. 

Belts and hoses become weakend due to heat and continued stress, which can leave you stranded, most likely where its hot and not within walking distance to place that can help. 

Tires get very hot while driving, even under normal circumstances, they reach about 120 degrees. In the Arizona heat this can increase to around 150 degrees. When the temperature changes, your tire pressure changes, as well. For every 10-degree increase in air temperature, your tire pressure increases by 1 PSI. Under inflated tires will also cause additional heat buildup in tires, increasing the possibility of a blow out. 

At One Stop Automotive We perform a courtesy inspection during every service and we can let you know of any areas of concern.