It's summer, and if you own an SUV like the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee, chances are you hope to take it on some on-road vacations during the months ahead. To the beach, camping or even several states away to a family reunion. Wherever you plan to take your Cherokee during the summer months ahead, it's important to prep it for travel. You may think this means to pack it with snacks, electronics, and all of your favorite songs – sure, this can add to the fun of a road trip – we actually mean you should make sure vital parts of your car are in good, working conditioning. Here are some handy tips to help prep your Cherokee for summer.
Check Tires. If you're like many, you probably don't think about your car's tires very often. Heck, you may even forget it has tires at all. That's because we spend most of our time inside our cars, and also because we just expect them to roll us along to our destination no matter what. Tires are always important to pay attention to, but if you're going on a road trip they become a serious priority. Before leaving town, you want to ensure your car's tires have the proper amount of air, good tread depth, and no visual signs of damage. Checking tire pressure (of all tires, including the spare) along with replacing tires in poor shape will ensure you don't end up changing a flat on the side of the road.
Change Oil. Just as important as tires are to your summer travel car prep, so is engine oil. Oil works hard to keep important engine parts running clean, smooth, and cool. Demanding your car to pack in excessive miles under its belt during the months of summer can cause the engine to be more likely to overheat. The best way to avoid this problem is to get your oil changed before hitting the road.
Check Hoses and Belts. Hot summer temperatures mean the parts of your car that work to keep your engine cool with have to work even harder to do so. Two parts that help do this is hoses and belts. Hoses connect to the radiator and help pump coolant to and from the engine block. Belts run the fan that helps cool the system even further. If hoses and belts break, the radiator will overheat.
Traveling is not time to have your car suffering from overheating parts. So before leaving town, be sure to check hoses for cracks, leaks and loose connections; and check belts for cracks and other visible damage.
Replace Windshield Wipers. In times of hard rain, visibility decreases up to 20 feet in front of your vehicle. To keep visibility at its highest while traveling, you want to make sure your car has properly working windshield wipers. If your wipers currently leave streaks or show signs of other problems, get them replaced before heading to your vacation destination.
For more information on the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and more ways to prep your car for summer, visit our dealership in Emmaus, PA.