With extreme heat warnings in place across the inland regions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, it is important to know how to deal with car problems as they come up.
“You have to make sure you stay on top of your maintenance,” Freddy Tinajero, head mechanic of Big Brand Tire & Service, said.
Mechanics say there are some things to watch out for when the heat rises, especially your tires.
“I blew a tire out in the trailer two weeks ago and that was seriously because of the heat,” Creston resident Lyne Wiemann said. Creston is about 10 miles east of Atascadero.
Wiemann says she was driving down the road when it happened to her.
“It sounded like someone shot at us — it was that loud, “ Wiemann said.
Mechanic Freddy Tinajero says to avoid this from happening, it is important to rotate your tires more often.
He advises to rotate your tires every other oil change and encourages people to not over-inflate your tires.
“If it’s overinflated there’s a high possibility of it popping as you go down a hot road, all that pressure is going to cause it to blow,” Tinajero said.
There are other ways to prepare your car for extreme heat.
“Coolant is the biggest factor because it helps cool the engine,” Tinajero said.
With temperatures heating up it’s important to keep an eye on the temperature gauge.
“Sometimes when you are parked at a stoplight and have your AC blowing, your car can overheat because it’s not circulating,” Tinajero said.
“Make sure to carry water just enough to get you to where you want to go,” Tinajero continues.
If your car does start to overheat, mechanics say to turn off your air conditioning and try turning on the heat.
