Huntington Beach is a coastal town in California, located in the western part of the state, situated along the Coast Highway at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Due to its proximity to the ocean, the region experiences a relatively constant climate, similar to a semiarid Mediterranean climate, throughout the year, characterized by mild winters, warm summers, and pleasant transitional seasons.
However, this beach weather comes with its own set of challenges for your car that you use regularly for driving. Environmental factors play a crucial but often overlooked role in contributing to the decay of a car. To tackle the problems created by environmental factors, vehicles undergo seasonal maintenance that prepares them for the coming seasons and helps increase their longevity.
How Environmental Factors Affect The Cars in Huntington Beach
- The salty air carries corrosive microscopic salt particles from the ocean that settle on the car’s body, undercarriage, and sometimes on the engine under the hood. This salt accelerates the rust and corrosion of those cart components.
- In Huntington Beach, there is an abundance of sunlight that carries UV rays. Prolonged exposure to the UV rays, fade paint, crack dashboards, and degrade rubber components like tires and wiper blades in the car.
- The winter sees a short amount of rain in Huntington Beach. This rain also contributes to damage to the car’s wheels, brakes, and wipers.
- Huntington Beach is also a bustling city, thanks to its proximity to Downtown Los Angeles. The constant braking and accelerating in traffic also puts significant strain on your engine, transmission, and brakes.
Seasonal Car Maintenance Checklist for Huntington Beach
To protect your vehicle from these seasonal malfunction factors, consider seasonal maintenance, where the vehicle undergoes maintenance before a particular season begins, to address the extra strain added by the climate.
The Summer Checklist
Summer in Huntington not only brings more heat but also more traffic and increased driving. That’s why, for summer maintenance, the AC Unit, battery, cooling system, and UV protection services are done on the car. The AC unit is checked for proper fluid levels and strange noises that could indicate component damage.
The hot weather, combined with stop-and-go driving, creates ideal conditions for engine overheating. That’s why the cooling system, along with all its parts, requires regular maintenance. High temperatures work as a disadvantage for vehicle batteries. That’s why it’s crucial to have a good battery that can withstand the summer heat.
An increase in temperature directly affects the tire pressure. Thus, tire servicing is necessary before the summer; additionally, tire pressure should be checked daily to ensure it remains within the recommended limit. Before starting the summer, apply a high-quality wax coating on the exterior of the vehicle to protect it from UV damage.
The Fall Checklist
The fall checklist focuses on maintaining wipers, lights, brakes, and filters. The rubber-made wipers get hardened by summer and sometimes crack. Check and replace them with ones. Then, check all exterior lights, headlights, taillights, brake lights, and turn signals for haze and yellowing. As the Fall brings foggy mornings, the hazy headlights decrease visibility, posing a risk of road incidents. Brakes are also rechecked for the fall season to ensure safety. The Fall brings up an excessive amount of dust and pollen. Thus, the air filters should be regularly checked.
The Winter Checklist
The winter in Huntington Beach is characterized by rain and salty winds. The tire tread check-up is the first maintenance for winter. The tread should be checked using a penny; worn tires should be replaced with new ones. Driving with a worn tire on a wet road is extremely dangerous.
The defroster and heater must be rechecked, as they help restore visibility in your vehicle. Regular car washes and frequent wax coatings protect the vehicle’s exterior from salt damage.
Spring Maintenance
The spring season demands maintenance that prepares the vehicle for the following year. The maintenance primarily includes wheel alignment, tire rotation, fluid checks, and top-offs, among other services.
Where to service Your Car in Huntington Beach
If you are unsure about where to go for seasonal car service in Huntington Beach, visit our auto repair and service shop, Auto Repair Express. We have been operating in Huntington Beach for over 15 years and offer services for a wide range of Domestic, Import, and European car brands.
Our facility is equipped with the highest-grade repair tools and factory scan tools. Our technicians are highly experienced and expert in their work, and they strive to provide you with quality auto service. A 12-month/12,000-mile warranty backs all our work. In specific cases, we also offer an unlimited mileage warranty on the engine and transmission for up to 3 years.
Operating from Huntington Beach, we offer our services to the city and its surrounding areas, including Orange, Fullerton, Buena Park, and Garden Grove.