Fourth of July weekend is a busy travel season. For southwest Florida, it also comes with pounding heat that can impact your car as you travel.
Andy Tarrant is a car mechanic in Cape Coral. He said even though we deal with the Florida temperatures every day, you should be aware of how that heat can impact your car's coolant system, engine and oil, and even damage the steering wheel.
"Somebody left their keys on their instrument cluster, around their dash pad," Tarrant said. "And [their keys] melted into their dash pad."
Fort Myers Triple A Sales Manager John Risk tells residents to prepare for the unexpected; that includes being aware of your tires.
"You break down, so have extra water with you in the heat," Risk said.
Checking tire pressure and tread will help protect your tires. An easy way to check your tread — place a penny with the head upside down, facing outward, and check where the tread hits Lincoln's head. If you can see the whole head, it's time to get new tires.
"Around here, because of the road conditions, the heat and what the roads are made out of, it will deteriorate the life of the tires," Tarrant said.
On the road during summer travel and heat, the best advice Tarrant and Risk say is to give yourself time.
Another simple tip is to park in the shade, use sun shields inside your car, and if you think there's a problem, take it in as soon as possible.
