IS YOUR CAR KEEPING ITS COOL?

Make sure the coolant (antifreeze) in the cooling system is at the proper level. This is easy to check by looking at the translucent plastic reservoir in the engine compartment (see the owner's manual for details). You should do this check when the engine is cold. If the coolant is below the minimum mark, pour a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water into the reservoir until the coolant is at the proper level. If your tap water is hard, use distilled water. Be sure to use the type of coolant specified in the owner's manual. The traditional green coolant that needs to be flushed and filled every two years has been supplanted with several new types, some of them orange or red, that can be left in for much longer. Never mix the types, as the additive package in each type is incompatible and may cause sludging or corrosion. But you're safe if you stay with whichever type the car came with--all types are freely available.

If you want to check the proportion of coolant to water that's currently in your vehicle, use a simple floating-ball hydrometer, available at any auto-parts store.


IS THE AIR GETTING THROUGH?

Every spring clean any bugs, debris, or leaves out of the radiator fins, where they may have collected over the winter. The easiest way to do this is to gently spray water from a garden hose through the radiator from the back. This will also remove any corrosive road salt.

You should also check that no pieces of the vehicle, such as an air dam, underhood baffling, or radiator shroud, have come loose and are disrupting airflow to or from the radiator.

Many cars have an electric cooling fan, or sometimes two, instead of a belt-driven fan. Make sure they're working. Once the engine is fully warmed up, the electric fans should cycle on and off when, say, you're stopped at traffic lights. And, at least one fan should be on constantly if the air conditioner is running.


Air conditioning

Make sure your car's heating/air-conditioning system is working properly. Run it in each of its modes and check that the airflow is coming from all appropriate vents. If the air-conditioning system seems to take a long time to chill or if the air never gets cold enough, a recharge is probably in order. The presence of a musty, mildewy odor generally indicates that the drain vents also need to be cleaned.