As the rainy weather approaches, you pull out umbrellas, raincoats, and rain boots to combat the season. What about cars? Do they need to prepare like you? The rainy season challenges your car’s regular functionality. You need to prepare beforehand so that it performs safe and sound under rainy conditions.
Rainy seasons have serious impacts on road infrastructures. In most cases, roads become slippery and damaged to some extent due to heavy rain and the road does not supply vehicles with enough friction.
The global accident death toll has increased from 0.99 million to 2.4 million per year in the last three decades. Rainy seasons have significant roles in these numbers. Experts believe poor visibility is a big factor in a majority of rainy day accidents.
Other than that, most developing countries suffer from facts like poor drainage, rutting, raveling, depression, cracks, and potholes in highways and freeways. So you have to prepare your car to fight these challenges. Below lists things you can do to prepare your car for powerful rain.
1. Check the Condition of Your Tires
To combat the challenges of hard rain, you need tires with sufficient tread. What happens on rainy days, water occasionally mixes with leaked oils and vehicle fluids.
Treads help channel this mix of fluids and assure a better grip with the contact surfaces. This not only prevents accidents but also provides drivers better control on slippery roads.
How do you know that you need to change your tires before rainy season? In modern days, tires come with tread-wear indicators. This is a thin rubber band between the grooves of a tire. This indicator thins off as your tires sheds on roads. At one stage, this indicator completely wears off, meaning you should replace your tire.
2. Inspect Windshield Wiper Blades
In most cases, a rainy day accident occurs due to malfunctioning windshield wiper blades. Driving is incredibly dangerous with poorly working wiper blades in the rainy downpour. So, how do you know that wiper blades are still functional?
Check your wiper blades and see whether they make any waterline or smudges on the windscreen If you find any of those two issues then you should change them before the rainy season. Also, check for any cracks in wiper rubbers.
Other than that, look for any irregular rhythms of wiper blades. Make sure you keep an eye on windshield washer fluid levels in your car as well. If the wiper blades are completely malfunctioning, then it would be best not to use them in rainy weather. You will get the best-priced windshield wiper motor at partsgeek.com.
3. Look For Brakes
Check your brakes before the rainy season appears. When brakes are worn out, it increases braking distance. It can also lead to brake failure in extreme cases where the driver loses control over the vehicle, and things become even more challenging when roads get wet and lose friction.
It’s no rocket science to check brakes at home. You just need to start the engine and let your car idle for a while. Now press brake pedals with uniform force. If pedals keep sinking, then there is a possibility of leakage in the system.
In other cases, you may feel judder in the brake pedals on regular driving. This is a clear sign that your brake pads have worn out and it is time to replace them. Hire a professional mechanic and fix your car’s braking system. You don’t really want an accident because of bad breaks.
4. Maintain Headlights
No matter what the weather condition is, you need functional headlights, taillights, and turn signals for your motor vehicle. The importance of headlights doubles in overcast conditions because of low visibility. The beam of your headlight guides other drivers on the road.
Check both low and high beams. Also, check for hazard indicators and brake lights. If you see any inconsistent or dimmer light than normal, then you better change it before the rain arrives. Also, you may find fluctuating lights because of weak batteries. Make sure you clean your headlamps in case they get fogged up or moisture inside it.
5. Check Wiring and Battery
Electricity and water are two different things that may threaten your driving experience altogether. Look for the maze of exposed running wires and check if the electricals are all functional or not. If wires with peeled off insulation come in contact with water, then it can create an electric shorting.
Make sure you are using high-quality wires with a warranty to avoid short-circuit issues. As rain storms require more electric usage like wipers and lights, make sure your battery is in good condition. If possible, you can store a spare battery for emergency needs.
6. Inspect Leaks and Rust
The rubber seal of your windshield, windows, and sunroof can have leakage over long term uses. Because of clogged drainage holes, you may also find rust in some areas of your vehicle. Identify leakage sources and try to rectify them before the monsoon.
How do you find leakage? Try to find unexpected moistures on sunroofs, windows, door sills, and on the carpet. Rusting has a direct correlation with these leakages and rusting can spread quickly in rainy seasons. So, try any professional service and inspect leaks and rust in your car.
7. Do Some Painting and Body Work
If paint coats are damaged, then rusting on car bodies is only a matter of time. Things can get worse if you don’t repair it quickly. Not only does it hurt the image of the car but also affects the car’s longevity. If needed, give it new paint before the rain storm arrives so that it gathers a shiny protective layer and prevents chances of rust.
8. Hire a Professional
It is always difficult to inspect each and every item and rectify it by yourself. For that, you can hire a professional before the rain storm. They are experts, and they should provide a thorough inspection with some real-time solutions.
Also, some professionals offer car cleaning and polishing as a part of their service. Going for a professional service and sorting out all basic problems can help you drive smoothly on stormy days.
Final Verdict
Car preparation may sound irrelevant to many of you. Most of us don’t think about car servicing unless we get stuck with a problem. Besides, if you prepare your car before the rainy season, this can help you get over some potential problems. Most importantly, the chances of accidents drop when you are well-prepared.
Tags: car maintenance
