Be sure to prep your car for monsoon season

PHOENIX — That layer of dust on everything should be your warning to get the car checked out before the next big storm hits.

Howard Fleischman with Community Tire Pros is warning his customers to check several things, including the head and tail lights and windshield wipers.

“In Arizona’s heat, wipers really should be changed every six months,” he says. “Otherwise, the sharp blade underneath can scratch the windshield and cause more serious damage.”

Replacing the wipers should cost no more than $20 at most repair shops, he added.

Fleischman said a lot can also go wrong on the road beneath your car.

“All the oils are going to start coming up in the first two rains we have, and if you don’t have good traction, you could lose control,” he explained.

To stay on the road, he said to double check your tire tread and don’t rely on the pressure per square inch stamped on the side of the tire.

“It tells you that’s how much that tire can be inflated to before it becomes dangerous,” he warned. “It has nothing to do with your car.”

Instead, he advised motorists to go by the manufacturer’s instructions found inside the owner’s manual and on the inside frame on the driver’s side door.

And don’t forget to check the head and tail lights are all working.

If you have a newer, high-tech vehicle, Fleischman said you’re prone to electrical shorts if rubber seals and gaskets are ignored after several months in the Arizona heat.

“You’ve got a lot of electronics in today’s automobile,” said Fleischman. “Make sure that they’re all sealed well, so that if you’re going through puddles, you’re not causing the car to short out.”

He also warned not to drive a car in water more than six inches deep. Even if you make it out, he said your engine may not and that can be a $6,000 to $7,000 mistake in repairs.