Summer is cooking up the Golden State and even causing temperatures to rise (somewhat) in the chillier regions of the Bay Area. If you want to keep your automobile running swiftly, looking beautiful, and purring like a contended kitten, check out these summer care tips:

1. Lubricate and cool that engine!

How does your oil look? Is there enough in there? Is it clean? How is your pump coolant level? Are there any hose cracks or areas of corrosion? An unlubricated – or poorly lubricated – engine can create drag on your performance and potentially damage or dull components of your car.

2. Tire check!

You may still be tooling around with your winter tires on your vehicle. If so, check the treads. Winter tires are made for winter, and the special gripping technology that helps them deal with ice can degrade during the hot summer months. This can be dangerous when the roads get washed over with an afternoon thunderstorm. Rotate your tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles to even out wear and tear and to minimize the possibility of blowouts or other disasters. Along those lines, check tire pressure. When the roads get really hot, tires can more easily blow out. Keep a tire pressure gauge in that glove compartment!

3. Fluids fluids fluids!

Your body needs to stay hydrated during the sweltering summer months. Your car needs fluids, too. Check your oil, your engine’s coolant, your radiator fluid, your brake fluid, your transmission fluid, etc. Yes, it can be somewhat annoying to spend an afternoon dealing with this. You’d rather hang out at the beach or sip an iced mocha with some friends at a coffee shop than get your fluids changed. But the maintenance is well worth it in terms of protecting your transmission, your engine and your other parts from disaster.

If you need quality auto parts, look to the team here at Rock & Roll Auto Recycling. Call us at 888-550-9944, or explore our catalog of new, used, rebuilt and aftermarket parts for autos and trucks at www.rockandrollautoparts.com.