Summer is heralded by an assortment of uplifting sights—warm weather forecasts, ice cream trucks, sunshine, and jovial Jeep owners with their car rooftops down. Exposed Jeeps are a summer staple, popular for taking their passengers one touch closer with their surroundings and the idyllic summer air. With the excitement of a Jeep’s summer potential comes responsibility. If you’re looking to get the most out of your versatile vehicle this summer, consider AM Off-Road’s tips on how to prepare your Jeep for summer weather. By following our maintenance advice, you can enjoy your Jeep’s summer features to their fullest without worrying about compromising the vehicle’s lifespan.
Seven Maintenance Steps To Prepare Your Jeep for the Summer
Fortunately, all good Jeep owners can take preventative measures to protect their Jeep from summer damage. Optimize yours by investing in the following maintenance steps for Jeeps.
Clean Your Vehicle’s Exterior
Just because the summer appears a little crisper and clearer than other seasons does not mean it’s void of any flaws. Depending on where you live, summers can get dry or humid. Whatever the air’s moisture content, your Jeep is still susceptible to collecting dust and debris, especially if you take it off-road.
Prevent accumulating dust, dirt, and debris from tearing away at your Jeep’s paint by getting your car washed regularly. If you’d rather take cleaning matters into your own hands to save a few bucks, just be sure to get the tricky spots, such as behind and between the trim pieces and around the doors. A meticulous wash will ensure there’s no harmful debris left behind.
Give Your Jeep a Nice Coating or Other Protective Film
With that summer sunshine comes harsh UV rays. Just as you protect your skin with sunscreen, you should protect your car’s paint job throughout the summer with fresh coats of wax or different protective paint coverage.
Choose your auto paint protection wisely. While wax will work sufficiently and is often the cheaper option, you’ll have to apply it more frequently than protection film. The more you travel, the more elements you encounter, which means the greater coverage your auto paint protection layer should provide.
Free up Your Car’s Water Channels To Prevent Leaks
Jeeps have a common flaw: an unfortunate tendency to leak. Behind interior trim, water can build up. Your vehicle is especially prone to leaking after an intense bout of precipitation.
Dry out the channels of water all around your vehicle. An air compressor can help you rid your Jeep of all the unwanted moisture before the cabin area gets ruined. For a thorough drying, you may need to remove some interior parts to reach tricky-to-access water channels.
Supply Your Jeep With New Air Filters
Your Jeep’s air filters work hard throughout the fall and winter months. Most filters need their paper elements replaced come summertime to improve their performance.
Supplying your Jeep with quality air filters enhances AC functions (if you’ve still got your rooftop up) and assures proper airflow gets to varying vehicle components.
Revamping Your Ride for Off-Roading
Jeep Wrangler off-road parts are a must—especially for the off-roading Jeep owners. AM Off-Road has an incredible inventory of off-roading accessories to customize your car’s look and, more importantly, safeguard it from all the impact it’s bound to acquire while exploring new terrain this summer. Aftermarket off-road parts offer more of a selection than original equipment manufacturers, meaning you can acquire add-ons that suit both your aesthetic and budget.
Get a Preventative Tire and Alignment Check
It may come as no surprise, but the tires of your Jeep have a drastic influence over passenger safety and vehicle performance and efficiency. No matter how durable you believe your set of tires to be, it never hurts to get them checked before a summer’s worth of outdoor excursions.
A few things you can ask your mechanic to check for when it comes to tires include the following.
- Check each tire’s air pressure.
- Check each tire’s treads to assess how worn they are.
- Check that the suspension alignment is properly adjusted.
As the temperature fluctuates, so can your tires’ air pressure. Keep an eye on your tire pressure monitor to recognize when you might need a little more air in your tires.
Consider Getting a New Undercoating
A buildup of materials in your Jeep’s undercarriage can cause premature rusting. Prevent troubling rust from expanding by getting your ride’s undercarriage pressure washed and applied with new undercoating.
Important Problems To Address Before Summer Rolls Around
Though the Jeep is a highly revered ride, they aren’t invincible. Some vehicle symptoms signify there’s a bigger problem at hand, which can lead to more drastic problems if left unattended. Assess your Jeep for any of the following red flags and be sure to avoid exacerbating them by fixing them before summertime.
The Death Wobble and Power Steering
Avoiding power steering troubles means you can end up in a serious accident because it hinders the driver’s control. If your Jeep has ever shaken uncontrollably while you’ve been driving, you must get its power steering system assessed.
Spark Plugs
Spark plugs are critical to many other Jeep components’ performances. Keeping your spark plugs in good condition ensures that other parts run smoothly, such as the catalytic converter.
Any Brake Issues
If your brakes make any jarring noise, it’s time for a trip to the mechanic. The reasons for needing well-performing brakes should be pretty self-explanatory.
Any Windshield Cracks
Windshields are made of impressive materials meant to withstand lots of impacts. Over the years, your vehicle’s wear and tear may start to reflect through your windshield. While minor cracks may appear like no big deal, they can spider outward, carving up more glass and increasing your risk of dire injury.
Importance of Keeping Your Car in High-Quality Condition Year Round
When learning how to prepare your Jeep for summer weather, know the process doesn’t just begin a couple of months prior. AM Off-Road emphasizes the significance of taking quality care of your vehicle all year-round as opposed to only exclusively during the few warm months of the year.
You should continue to partake in regular car maintenance activities, such as going to the car wash, getting your tires rotated, and using wax coating, even when the weather isn’t favorable. Keeping your car in admirable condition won’t just have you feeling good in the driver’s seat, but it can also enhance the lifespan of your car and its components, saving you from costly repairs and replacements.
