Tip #1 Check Your Tires
Tires are one of the most overlooked parts of a car. According the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), only one out of 10 drivers checks his or her tire pressure correctly, compared with almost seven out of 10 who wash their cars regularly. But the truth is that an under-inflated, over-inflated, worn down or misaligned tire can be extremely dangerous, particularly in hot summer weather. An under-inflated tire bulges outward and puts undo pressure on the sidewalls of the tire. With enough heat and pressure, that tire eventually will blow. An over-inflated tire, on the other hand, makes less contact with the road and can lead to hydroplaning in wet conditions.Your local service can check your tires for proper alignment and balance.

Tip #2 Change Oil and Oil Filter
Oil is the lifeblood of your car. It keeps hardworking engine parts running clean, smooth and cool. Most owner's manuals suggest that you change your oil and oil filter every 12,000 kilometers. Oil change specialists suggest every 5,000 kilometers or three months. The fact is, most of us do a lot of heavy driving during the summer when an engine is more likely to overheat. So at least check your oil before you head out on that road trip with the family.To check your oil, let your car run for a few minutes, then park it on a level surface and shut off the engine. Open the hood and locate the oil dipstick. You're looking for two things here: the level of oil and how the oil looks. If you're low on oil, you can either add another quart or simply change the oil completely. The oil should look brownish yellow and clean on the stick. If the oil is a dark color or there's a lot of dirt and grime in it, then you definitely need an oil change and oil filter replacement.

Tip #3 De-Winterize Your Car
Snow tires are heavy and will lower your fuel economy. If you haven't driven your car very much during the winter, or if you've had it in storage, then you need to check all of the fluid levels -- coolant, transmission, differential, power steering and brake fluid -- to make sure there weren't any leaks. You'll also want to change the oil, since oil gets thick and collects condensation if it sits in the engine all winter. If you haven't used your battery in a while, you might need a recharge or a replacement. It's also important to really clean the undercarriage of the car after a long winter. The salt that's used to melt snow and ice on roads can get caked on the underside of your car and begin to eat away at the metal. Lots of caked-on gunk will also make your engine and transmission run hotter, because heat has a harder time escaping through the bottom of the car.

Tip #4 Check Hoses and Belts
The key to summer driving is keeping the engine cool. We're going to talk about the radiator and coolant soon, but first you need to check the hoses and belts. The hoses connected to the radiator help pump coolant to and from the engine block, and the belts run the fan that helps cool the system further. If the hoses crack or the belts snap, the radiator will quickly overheat, leaving you stranded. Check hoses for cracks, leaks and loose connections. Hoses should be firm, never soft and malleable. The most vulnerable parts of the hose are those nearest to clamps where the hose connects to the radiator or the engine. Belts can also be visually checked for cracks and damage. Take note if the belt looks excessively slick or smooth. Remove the belt to make sure that the material hasn't started separating into different layers. Experts say the risk of belt failure rises dramatically after 50,000 kilometers

Tip #5 Change the Air Filter
Over the winter, your car's air filter can get clogged with salt and other thick debris. A clogged air filter can really lower your fuel efficiency. Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. But how do you know when to change your air filter? If you do a lot of driving on dirt or gravel roads, then your air filter is going to clog up much faster than an air filter in a vehicle that's used strictly for highway driving. The only real way to know if you need to replace your air filter is take it out and give it a quick inspection. Interestingly, a slightly dirty air filter works better than a totally clean one. This is because the debris in the filter becomes part of the filtering process, trapping smaller particles that might have otherwise slipped past. There's no real science to knowing when it's time to replace the filter. If it's really filthy, then it obviously needs to be changed. Otherwise, ask the professional. If you're preparing for a long summer of hard driving, then you might as well replace it. Air filters are relatively inexpensive.

Tip #6 Replace Your Windshield Wipers
The summertime is notorious for sudden, violent thunderstorms. When buckets of water are beating against your windshield, you need wipers that really work. Even more so at night, when a rain storm can decrease visibility to 15 or 20 feet in front of your vehicle.Winter can be tough on windshield wipers. Ice, snow, salt and extreme temperatures make cracks and tears in the rubber that lower the effectiveness of the wipers. If your wipers are leaving visible streaks or take several passes to clear away light rain, they need to be replaced. When replacing a wiper blade, it's better to replace the whole blade, not just the rubber part.

Tip #7 Check Your Brakes
Your brakes are the single most important safety feature on your car. Don't put yourself or your family at risk this summer by riding around on worn down or faulty brakes. Brakes need to be replaced when the lining on your brake pad or brake shoe is worn down past the minimum thickness specified by the car manufacturer or provincial law. You can have your brake linings checked at any normal service shop or at a brake specialist.Here are some signs that your brakes need to be checked:
    * Your brake pedal becomes very soft and mushy
    * Your brake pedal is very hard and resistant
    * Loud and constant scraping and grinding sounds coming from the brakes

Tip #8 Check Your Coolant and Radiator
Cars are designed to run hot, but there's a limit to how hot they should run. But if an engine is allowed to get too hot, moving metal parts can actually start to melt and fuse together, causing a variety of internal problems for your engine and, you guessed it, a hefty repair bill.The summertime is tough on cooling systems. Sitting in traffic on a hot day is one of the quickest ways to overheat your car. This is because there's no air flowing across the engine to help keep it cool. A well-tuned cooling system can take long idles in hot weather, but if you have low coolant levels or a busted fan belt, your engine temperature is going to go up and fast. Check under the hood and make sure that your coolant levels are fine. The general rule is to flush your radiator and add new coolant at least every two years.

Tip #9 Clean Your Battery
Wintertime is notorious for dead batteries and early morning jumpstarts. But the truth is that hot weather is even tougher on your battery. Summer heat can speed up the chemical reaction inside a battery, causing the battery to be overcharged. This can dramatically shorten the lifespan of your battery. Heat can also damage the battery by evaporating internal battery fluid. The best way to keep your battery running smoothly is to keep it clean. Regularly detach the battery cables and wipe off the terminals. Make sure the battery is strapped down tightly and that all connections are secure. If you suspect that your battery is being overcharged or isn't holding a charge well, take it to a service shop where they can run a quick battery inspection. And if you need to replace the battery, make sure that it's the right battery type for your specific make and model of car.