Car Care Tips During Monsoon

TYRES

Make sure your car tyres are in excellent condition before the monsoons arrive, as these will be in constant touch with the wet slippery roads. To avoid skids and unwanted jolts, make sure your tyres have good tread depth. Compromising on this could prove dangerous. Car tyres should be minimum 2mm in depth, including your spare. Fine parts of dust get entrenched in the tyres, causing them to skid. Rubber has a tendency to soften when it comes in contact with water. Check the tyre pressure regularly and inflate it to recommended pressure when it is cold. This increases driving comfort and the life of your tyres.

WIPERS
The wiper blades are better when new. Always make sure they are of good quality, no streaking and smooth functioning. The wiper blades should not be hard and cracked, as these will cause scratches on the windscreen. Check that the wipers are working in all the three speeds (normal, slow, fast) before you start out on your drive. Instead of ordinary water for your windshield wiper, try using some solution like soap solution for better visibility.

BRAKES
The most crucial part of a vehicle, brakes calipers, must be regularly cleaned and replaced. Brakes should not be too loose or too tight. Keep using the car brakes as water may make the brake drums wet, causing low braking efficiency. Keep taking your car for regular service check-ups. You can dry out the wet brakes by placing your left foot on the brake pedal and gently moving the throttle with your right foot. Make sure the handbrake works fine.

WATER-PROOF IT
To prevent the car body from rusting, use an anti-rust coating on the car fittings. Service your engine and make sure it is made water tight. It would be a good idea to use an anti-moisture spray or simply remove the plug and clean out the moisture with a cloth.

CAR INTERIORS
Many a times, water flows into the cabin area, damaging the carpets and flooring. Place old mats on your car floor, so that these soak up the dirty water. It would be a better option to use fabric mats rather than rubber ones. Vacuum clean the car interiors regularly and use car perfumes with light fragrances that will also make your car smell fresh. This will keep the car interiors clean and smelling fresh. If your car seats get wet, keep the windows open, to avoid the formation of fungus.

ELECTRICAL PATCH-UPS
Patch up all the weak or loose electrical connections and check if all the external wires are insulated, as these tend to act up in the rains and during the monsoons. Take care to remember that exposed wires, if any, should be properly insulated. Coat battery terminals with petroleum jelly (not grease) and use a waterproofing spray to keep the electrical system moisture-free. Also check to see if all the fuses are in order and ensure that you always carry a few extra fuses with you.