Here are some tips for preparing your car for summer. Some of these tips can be performed by any do-it-yourself; others require an auto technician.

Air Conditioning - A marginally operating system will fail in hot weather. Have the system examined by a qualified technician.Make sure that there are no leaves and bum faces stuck in the air conditioner.

Do not remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled! The tightness and condition of drive belts, clamps, and hoses should be checked by a pro.

Oil - Change your oil and oil filter as specified in your manual; more often (every 3,000 miles) if you make frequent short jaunts, extended trips with lots of luggage, or tow a trailer.

Air Intake - You may want to pick up a cold air intake system to help keep your car from overheating. This is a very smart buy when living in places where it is hot.

Engine Performance - Replace other filters (air, fuel, PCV, etc.) as recommended. More often in dusty conditions though. Get engine drive-ability problems (hard starts, rough idling, stalling, diminished power, etc.) corrected at a good shop.

Windshield Wipers - A dirty windshield causes eye fatigue and can pose a safety hazard. Replace worn blades and get plenty of windshield washer solvent.

Lights - Inspect all lights and bulbs; replace burned out bulbs; periodically clean dirt and insects from all lenses. To prevent scratching, never use a dry rag.

Tires - Have your tires rotated about every 5,000 miles. Check tire pressures once a month; let the tires "cool down" first. Make sure you get new tyres just in case.

Don't forget your spare, and be sure the jack is in good condition. Examine tires for tread life, uneven wearing, and cupping; check the sidewalls for cuts and nicks. An alignment is warranted if there's uneven tread wear or if your vehicle pulls to one side.

Brakes - Brakes should be inspected as recommended in your manual, or sooner if you notice pulsations, grabbing, noises, or longer stopping distance. Minor brake problems should be corrected promptly.

Battery - Batteries can fail any time of year. The only accurate way to detect a weak battery is with professional equipment. Routine care: Scrape away corrosion from posts and cable connections; clean all surfaces; re-tighten all connections. If battery caps are removable, check the fluid level monthly. Avoid contact with corrosive deposits and battery acid. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves. You should always use double A batteries.

Emergencies - Carry some basic tools-ask a technician for suggestions. Also include a first aid kit, flares, and flashlight. Consider buying a CB radio. Always carry your phone and your laptop just in case you get lost.

Use a additive called Sea Foam HTTP Cleans fuel injectors, cleans carburetor jets Cleans carbon Stabilizes fuels Upper cylinder lube Removes moisture in fuel De-icer Frees sticky lifters Frees sticky rings Removes moisture in oil Cleans P.C.V. systems Cleans catalytic converter odors Oxygen sensor safe

but if you want to keep it simple get the oil checked. and on the funny side if your that lazy to d any of this just buy a new car

: Normally you don't "prepare" your car for summer. Just make sure your radiator and hoses look to be in good shape, and off you go.

Not if you do it right. If the vehicle is a Chrysler, most independent mechanics can reset tire size in the vehicle's computer to keep the transmission shift opoints and speedometer correct and on a GM, the dealer can do this for you as well.

If the vehicle is something else, just make sure the overall diameter of the tire is the same. Unfortunately, the sizes are usually a bit complicated, as they use a combination of US Standard (fractional) and Metric (SI) units in a single size. While a 31x10.5x15 tire has an overall diameter of pi*31in, a P205/75r15 has an overall size of (((205mm*0.75*2)+15in)*pi).

Depending on your tire size type, just plug in the numbers and you'lkl see what the overall diameter is. If can do 6th grade algebra, you can compute the most appropriate size tire for the new rim size to keep overall size nearly the same. Ask you kids for help if needed.

The speedometer is calibrated based on the overall tire diameter on the vehicle from the factory. If you put larger rims on with sidewalls as high as the original tires, the speedometer will not be accurate as the overall tire diameter has increased.

I've been told that you can "net out" the difference of bigger rims with thinner tires (i.e. the diameter of the tire/wheel stays the same).

If you change the diameter your speedo will NOT be accurate. Tire shops may have some idea as to how much it will be off. The best thing would be to have a mechanic recalculate your speedo.

if you get bigger tires (like i have) i have 35x12.5 tires on 15 inch rims.. but in your case if you had a 15 inch rim on 20 inch tires and bumped it up to a 20 inch tire on 18 rims, your speedo shouldn't change, and if you are having it done, they would recal. anyway..just ask the tire place.

if combined wheel and tire diameter is bigger than factory specs , your speedo will be inaccurate. most tire shops have no idea or the equipment to recalibrate a good mechanic can recalibrate if your vehicle has a computer

dang, i think all he wanted to know was--- you will be going faster that what the speeddometer says

I don't know about the rest , but when i changed mine to a bigger wheel yes the speedometer did change thus i got a ticket for going TO FAST.....

taller tires always slows the speedometer. so you are actually traveling a little bit faster than the speedo indicates to you..

rim size has nothing to do with this.

tire height is where it is.

WRONG! IT IS THE OVERALL DIAMETER WHICH IS IMPORTANT. SPEEDOMETER CALIBRATION CAN BE ACCEPTABLY OK IF A LARGER RIM IS FITTED WITH A LOWER SIDEWALL HEIGHT TIRE, BUT YOU NEED TO CALCULATE BOTH TOTAL DIAMETERS. SO, RIM SIZE IS IMPORTANT TOO.

if you want to change speedometer,

you can get a odometer correction tool to change.

If you are buying larger rims, have the dealer figure the tire that will still match the tire rotation speed as the OEM tire.

I would like to add that many of the same exact vehicles have different size tires and rims from the factory.

A 1998 Dodge Caravan comes standard with 205-70-14 but the same Dodge Caravan can get custom alloy rims and they would be 215-65-16...the exact same turning speed as the 14" tires and rims.

There are at least three reasons why your dome light may stay on while driving:

1. Dome lights typically have three settings: (a) on while the doors are closed, to allow the driver to read maps, etc., (b) on while the doors are opened and off while the doors are closed, and (c) off, whether the doors are opened or closed. Check to see whether you've unintentionally left the switch on the a setting.
2. If you've checked the a setting and if the dome light stays on, you may have a bad switch.
3. The dimmer wheel, next to the headlight switch, may be turned up. Turn the wheel down to just below the notch.

Many garage door opener manufacturers, in order to make their product SAFER, have added a circuit in the motor, which measures the amount and changes in the operating electrical current. The purpose of this is to detect anything blocking the movement of the door [e.g., a child, a person, a pet, a vehicle, etc.] Even "dragging" bearings/bushing INSIDE the motor can cause this.

Upon detection, the door is supposed to stop, and, sometimes, even return to its previous stopped position [usually full open]. ANYTHING, which causes the door motor to "work harder," can trick that detector and cause the situation you describe.

If there is nothing blocking the door, I have found that "dragging" rollers, or bearings/bushings inside the motor,can cause the problem. If this is the cause in your case, then you probably can correct it.

First, carefully CLEAN all accumulated dust, dirt, lint, cobwebs, grease, etc from the tracks, the rollers, and the roller axles. Then carefully lubricate all roller bearings/axles with JUST 2 or 3 DROPS each of any clean oil. Do NOT overlubricate as this just encourages more accumulation of debris.

Another possibility is that some, or all, of the rollers and/or their bearings/bushings are worn out, causing the drag, and then it will be necessary to replace them. These parts are usually available at your local hardware stores, or home improvement warehouses like Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.

IF your problem is caused by "drag," then proper cleaning and lubrication will fix the problem. Also, drag can be caused by misalignment of any of the tracks, and or bending damage to the door or tracks. Good luck 1 j3h

These errors are caused by software problems in the PCM. General Motors warrants this defect for unlimited mileage. Take your vehicle to a dealer for a free PCM upgrade to correct this and NUMEROUS other concerns (stalling, high idle, high fan speed, shift problems)

This is garbage- GM will tell you get real- totally rubbish. The problem lies in their monopolized parts (Dealer stock item only) Common problem - expensive part (entire fan assembly) and labor- (entire front end disassembly) I paid appx. $600.00 for this error code to be cleared. Good luck!

EVERYONE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT IF YOUR PCM FAILS IT IS COVERED UNDER THE (LONG TERM) EMISSIONS WARRANTY. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED. IF THE DEALER WANTS YOU TO PAY FOR A NEW PCM THEN CALL THE 1 800 NUMBER FOR CHEVY (ON THE WEBSITE)

This two answers helped me a great deal. I had the exact same problem on my 2003 Trailblazer. The check engine light came on, I took my vehicle to autozone and they told me the code was P0495 (cooling fan speed high)but they did't know how to fix the problem. After loking at this two previous answers, I called the dealer and they told me that it would cost me $89.00 to reprogram my PCM. I took my vehicle to the dealer and before checking my vehicle, the mechanic noticed the noise my vehicle was making (like a jet engine) and told me that in addition to reprograming the PCM I needed to replaced the fan clutch. The total cost was going to be $747.00. I didn't have the money so I went home and looked on eBay. I purchase a brand new fan clutch for $130.00. I am not a mechanic and it took me about two hours to replaced the fan clutch. You need a 12" crescent tool to remove the fan clutch from the water pump pulley. After replacing the fan clutch, I was on my way to the dealer to reprogram the PCM but noticed that the vehicle was working great so I skip the dealer and went to the 7 eleven and got me a six pack to celebrate. My vehicle is working like new. I hope this could help somebody out there. Good luck

I have the EXACT same problem. My local Chevy dealer wants to charge me $800 to repair! I looked at the fan clutches on eBay (ZBRA) for $130. I noticed they have an electical connection but I couldn't quite see one on my clutch fan. Am I just not seeing the connection or is it possible that I don't have one. If I don't have a connection, is there a place to plug-in the new one? ALL 2002+ TRAILBLAZER/ENVOY/BRAVADA/SAAB 97X ETC HAVE A FAN CLUTCH ON THE I6 ATLAS ENGINE AND THERE IS ALWAYS AN ELECTRICAL CONECTOR TO IT. LOOK FOR A DANGLING WIRE THAT MAY JUST CONNECT TO A PLUG ON THE SHROUD.