Avoid monsoon breakdowns with seven simple checks on your car
Jul 19, 2017, 5:20 AM
PHOENIX — Saturday night’s fierce monsoon storm was a warning: There’s a lot more to come. The last thing you need is to get caught in a haboob, dust storm or potentially dangerous downpour with something going wrong with your car.
“I think just in general, everybody needs to a good job of just keeping the maintenance up on their car, so that when these storms come along we don’t find ourselves in a position of being in a panic,” said Matt Allen, host of KTAR’s Bumper-to-Bumper radio program.
Allen said car owners need to check up on seven items to ensure your car can weather the storm season:
TIRES
“You want to take a look at your tires, if they’re down to about 4/32 of an inch of tread thickness, it’s time to think about starting to replace those tires” Allen said.
He added that a simple way to check this is with a quarter. Placing the quarter in the groove of the tread, if you can see the top of George Washington’s head over the tread — that tire is ready to be changed.
“If your tires are worn down that low, they don’t really owe you anything anymore,” he said. “You’re better off to just get a new set of tires, squeezing an extra few weeks out of them probably isn’t worth it given the potential weather conditions.”
LIGHTS
Allen said visibility is extremely important during monsoons.
“You need to make sure you can see, and that you are seen,” he said. This means making sure headlights are working properly, tail lights are on, brake lights work and turn indicators are on. As many older cars can have cloudy lenses, having those reconditioned or replaced makes for better visibility.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS
“Make sure [you] have good wiper blades,” Allen said. “Because they sit on windshield all year and bake — until it’s time for them to work — and they’re no good, they don’t wipe the window well.”
BATTERY
Heat kills batteries and anyone new to Arizona should know it is important to have a battery in good order.
“Check that the battery is clean and free of corrosion, and that everything is tightly secured,” Allen said. “Have your battery tested to make sure it is properly holding its charge.”
BELTS AND HOSES
Just as heat is tough on batteries, it is just as tough on the important items responsible for keeping your engine’s accessories running and keeping fluids moving. Allen said belts and hoses need to be inspected for cracks and tears. Belts and hoses need to be tightened properly so they do their job.
“Summer heat is hard on the hoses and belts so it is important to monitor them closely this time of year to avoid any potential damage,” Allen said.
BRAKES
Stopping your car is most important, especially in times of monsoons as flood roads are a danger to everyone. Allen recommends having a brake specialist make sure brake pads are good and the braking system is operating as it should.
AIR FILTERS
Allen said if you’re caught in a dust storm, after getting off the road, and turning off the lights, put your cars air conditioning system into recirculation, instead of drawing air from outside.
“I got caught in a [dust storm] one time and just the whole car was caught in dust,” he said. “I opened the window just for a second and I got dirt in my mouth — so I can just imagine what my air filter was like as it was sucking in air as the engine was running.” He said after the storm, or at the end of the season, have your car’s air and cabin filters changed.
Allen said getting the car thoroughly inspected should take about an hour. He reminds drivers ADOT reported five thousand crashes statewide during rain storms in 2015.
