As the summer heat arrives, everything needs extra attention to beat the heat. Rising temperatures can take a toll on heavy and medium duty trucks, particularly the engine. To stay road ready, ensure optimal performance and prevent costly breakdowns, here are 3 key areas to prepare your engine for the summer heat.
1. Coolant
Around 40% of engine failures are caused by improper coolant care. During scorching summer days, coolant plays a crucial role in maintaining your truck's radiator at an optimal temperature. Old coolant can also increase the chances of serious damage to the radiator and other engine components.
Here’s what to look out for:
- Appropriate coolant level for your truck. Coolant levels in the summer will be different than in the winter
- Discoloration, oil, debris, steam or stench. If the coolant is dark in color, dirty, steaming or smells like burning maple syrup, it should be replaced
- Old coolant. Coolant typically needs to be checked every 35,000 miles, depending on your truck and the type of coolant used
- Ideal coolant pH level. The typical pH of coolant is around 8. If it drops below 7, the chances increase for it to become more acidic and damaging to the engine
2. Oil
Oil is a crucial component to keeping your engine running properly. Along with lubricating the engine and keeping parts moving, oil also helps regulate the engine’s temperature. Be sure to check for:
- Proper oil levels
- Clean oil, which is typically an amber color. If your oil is thick, black, dark brown or cloudy, it should be replaced
3. Thorough Engine Check
Running engines get hot even in the cold months, but they heat up even more when the sun is beating down on them. A few things to check for include:
- Squeaking or squealing noises coming from your engine belts. This noise occurs when there isn’t enough tension on the belt, or the pulleys are weak or misaligned
- Damaged hoses. Look out for pools of fluid under your truck, moisture on the outside of the hose, moisture on the engine bay or if your engine is overheating
- Cracks, warps or significant corrosion to the radiator mounting. You’ll likely experience more impact noises, abnormal starts and increased vibrations if the mounts need to be replaced
- Faulty fuel injectors. These will cause engine stalls, misfires, poor fuel economy and/or the check engine light will come on when it needs to be replaced
Maintaining your engine for the heat increases your uptime and keeps you safe. Schedule a service appointment at your local dealer to have one of MHC’s certified technicians do a thorough check of your engine and get you road ready this summer.