5 Tips To Prevent Your Car From Overheating In The Extreme Heat Of Summer

With the dog days of Utah summer upon us, high temperatures can take their toll on people, animals and even cars to overheating. Extreme heat can push a vehicle past its limits, and once again this year some drivers will find themselves stranded at the roadside because of it. Follow these "Engine Overheating Prevention" tips from AAA Motor club, and highlighted in this video from an ABC television station news piece last year, and help prevent surprise engine overheating:
1. Regularly Check Coolant Level (with engine cooled down). This is your first line of defense, and first symptom of potential cooling system failures. Always check engine anti-freeze levels when your engine has cooled down, to avoid hot anti-freeze blowing out of the radiator cap, and possible scalding. (See step 3).
2. Have a Professional Pressure Test Your Radiator and Cooling System. If you notice anti-freeze coolant levels are low, have a professional pressure test and leak test your coolant system. There may be cracks or holes in the radiator, radiator hoses, water pump, or other components (radiator cap, thermostat, coolant sensors, etc.) may be malfunctioning, or not working at all.
3. Never Remove Radiator Cap When Engine Is Hot.
4. Check All Fluid Levels (Yes, battery fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid). Engine fluids are essential to keeping a vehicle running smoothly. Most fluids not only lubricate, they also serve as coolants by helping carry heat away from critical components. When fluid levels are low, this cooling effect is reduced, and the possibility of overheating increases. Drivers should check all vehicle fluids including motor oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and brake fluid to ensure they are filled to the appropriate levels. If any fluids need to be topped off, be sure to use the type of fluid specified in the owner’s manual.
5. Be Prepared for Summer Breakdowns With Car Emergency Kits
Even with proper preventive maintenance, summer breakdowns can still occur, so AAA recommends every driver have a well-stocked emergency kit in their vehicle. The kit should include:

• Water.
• Non-perishable food items.
• Jumper cables.
• Flashlight with extra batteries.
• Road flares or an emergency beacon.
• Basic hand tools.
• First aid kit.

We can perform a complete Air Conditioning and Coolant System Check up and tune up for your car or truck. We can service and keep your car air conditioning working properly, with a service and performance check ($29.95 special this month), of your auto air conditioning system.


At Hillside Tire and Service, we are your experts for all makes and models of auto repair in Salt Lake City. Come in to any of our 5 Salt Lake Valley tire stores: Salt Lake City (Cottonwood Heights), West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy or Draper, and get to know us, like Bill Gephardt does,  through our auto repair service specials (see coupons). We also check your Braking System-at no charge! See us also for tires (we have tire discounts from manufacturer factory rebate specials going on right now), alignments, oil changes, inspections, emissions, and complete auto repair services.

Auto Air Conditioning Performance Tune Up Check

Is your car air conditioning not working properly? Hot weather outside, and hot weather inside your car too? Stay cool inside your car. Let Hillside Tire and service keep your car air conditioning working properly, with a service and performance check, or repair of your auto air conditioning system.

We can service and keep your car air conditioning working properly, with a service and performance check ($29.95 special this month), of your auto air conditioning system. Tom Babcock, our Cottonwood Heights Store Manager, shows how to keep cool inside your car this summer in this video.

At Hillside Tire and Service, we are your experts for all makes and models of auto repair in Salt Lake City. Come in to any of our 5 Salt Lake Valley tire stores: Salt Lake City (Cottonwood Heights), West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy or Draper, and get to know us, like Bill Gephardt does,  through our auto repair service specials (see coupons). We also check your Braking System-at no charge! See us also for tires (we have tire discounts from manufacturer factory rebate specials going on right now), alignments, oil changes, inspections, emissions, and complete auto repair services.

Tire Care and Tire Maintenance

 Tire Maintenance

Here are some good tire care and maintenance tips to extend the life and mileage of your tires, and get the best value and safety from your set of tires.

Check tires once each month for wear:

It’s a good idea to check your tires once a month for visible damage and excess wear. Here are two ways to tell if your tires are worn out:

1. Look for wear bars
Narrow bands may appear in the grooves across the tire’s tread. See the wear bars? When the wear bars are even with the tread depth, only 2/32” of tread remains,1 replace the tire.

2. The penny trick
Place a penny in the most shallow tread groove with Lincoln’s head down. See the top of his head? The tire should be replaced.

If the tread is worn below 2/32 of an inch, water can’t be channeled away from the tread. This can cause hydroplaning at high speeds. Snow traction is also reduced as well.
 

Air Pressure
The Benefits of Proper Inflation
With the right amount of air pressure, you will achieve optimum tire performance. This means your tires wear longer, save fuel and help prevent accidents. The "right amount" of air is the pressure specified by the vehicle manufacturer, which may be different on the front than the rear tires on your particular model car or light truck. The correct air pressure is shown on the tire placard (or sticker) attached to the vehicle door edge, doorpost, glove box door or fuel door. If your vehicle doesn't have a placard, check the owner's manual. Please feel free to stop by Quick Lube, and we would be happy to check your tire pressure for you-free of charge.

 
Tire Rotation Tips 
Regular rotation helps extend the life of your tires, saving time and money in the long run. For rotation, each tire and wheel is removed from your vehicle and moved to a different position. This ensures that all of the tires wear evenly and last longer. If no period is specified in your vehicle owners manual, tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. If you have a full-size spare, it should be included in the rotation process.
  
 
 

Tire Balancing Tips
Balancing compensates for the weight of the tire and wheel assembly after the tire is mounted. A wheel is out of balance when one area is heavier or lighter than the rest. This can cause eccentric treadwear and
vibration, plus increase the stress on the front-end parts, causing them to wear prematurely .

Wheel Alignment
A vehicle is said to be properly aligned when all suspension and steering components are sound and when the tire and wheel assemblies are running straight and true. Proper alignment is necessary for even tread wear and precise steering. Uneven front-or rear-tire wear, or changes in your vehicle's handling or steering response (i.e. pulling to one side) can indicate misalignment. 

Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. Your vehicle may need a "front-end" alignment or a "four-wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. The moderate cost of or a having your vehicle aligned can more than pay for itself in tire mileage, performance and comfort.

Proper Repair  There is a good chance that your tire can be repaired if:
1. The tire has not been driven on when flat
2. The damage is only on the tread section of your tire
3. The puncture is less than 1/4". 

Come in to any of our 5 Salt Lake Valley tire stores: Salt Lake City (Cottonwood Heights), West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy or Draper for tires, alignments, brakes, and complete auto repair services.
We have oil change specials and oil change coupons for full service lube and oil changes. We also offer tires, wheels, alignments, brakes, and complete auto repair services.

Proper Tire Care Extends Life Of Your Tires: Hillside Tire & Auto Repair Service; Salt Lake City

Proper tire care extends the mileage and performance of your car tires. Watch this tire care video, as Hillside Tire show you how regularly checking tire air pressure, balancing and rotation, and alignments all help get the best value for your vehicle tire.

Check out the latest tire discount coupon specials at our tire stores.

Come in to any of our 5 Salt Lake Valley tire stores: Salt Lake City(Cottonwood Heights), West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy or Draper for tires, alignments, brakes, and complete auto repair services.

Auto Air Conditioning: 3 Reasons Why Your A/C Fails

Have you been suffering in your car because of a broken air conditioner? Your car's air conditioning system is failing for one of 3 main reasons:
1. Your Freon is low.
2. Your Freon is leaking out; or
3. There is an A/C component malfunctioning.
Understanding your car's air conditioning system will help you understand what it takes to fix the failing A/C in your vehicle.
The major components that may fail are:

• Freon: the refrigerant, which carries the heat. Low freon is the number one cause of air conditioning malfunction;

• the compressor, which compresses and circulates the refrigerant in the system;

• the condenser, which changes the phase of the freon from gas to liquid, and expels heat removed from the car;

• the expansion valve- a nozzle to drop the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, meter its flow, and atomize it;

• the evaporator, which transfers heat to the freon from the air blown across it, cooling your car;

• the receiver/dryer-a filter for the freon, removing moisture and other contaminants;

• switches, fuses, wires, fan belts (on older cars), or seals inside the compressor, can break or fail as well.

While a complete discussion of every specific model and component would be  a "War and Peace" novel , this should give you a start on figuring out what the problem might be, and either fixing it yourself, or talking intelligently to someone you can pay to fix it.

Let the experts at Hillside Tire and Auto Service diagnose, repair and service your car's air conditioning. We want to be your vehicle repair service provider for years to come! Come in to any of our 5 Salt Lake Valley locations: Salt Lake City(Cottonwood Heights), West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy or Draper for tires, alignments, brakes, and complete auto repair services.