Summertime
is a tough season for your vehicle's engine.
While
it's easy to shed your cold weather wardrobe and dress for summer sun, your
engine has a tougher time coping when the climate heats up. Here are a few tips
on how to help your motor survive warmer weather when the sun starts making
regular appearances and your fancy turns to thoughts of driving.
Your motor's first line of defense against high temperatures is engine oil, the gooey lubricant that keeps those moving parts from melting down. But as ambient temperatures rise or fall, your engine's oil needs change. When oil is cold, it thickens; when it heats up, it becomes less viscous, or more watery. The differences are crucial when it comes to protecting your engine against extremes in weather: on one hand, your oil needs to be thick enough to seal tiny gaps in your engine and properly lubricate metal-against-metal surfaces. On the other hand, the oil has to be thin enough to move easily and circulate where your engine needs it the most, but if it becomes too thin, it can wear down and lose its cooling efficiency.
