In the section covering "Recommended Spring Maintenance for your vehicle" reference was made to your vehicle's cooling system. We hope you took heed because now that the weather is hot, the under-hood heat will also be higher ... around 275 degrees Fahrenheit!

Heat is destructive to all hoses having coolant running through them. Consider that, in 1 hour of driving, over 7,000 gallons of hot liquid under a pressure of around 15 lbs per square inch, has circulated.

Ozone-oxygen compounds attack the rubber molecules causing the insides of the hoses to deteriorate, and splits or cracks start to appear inside. You cannot see these until one either bulges or ultimately bursts. Manufacturers recommend changing all coolant hoses every 4 years.

Here are some tips to help you through the Summer months:

• Oil, lube and filter change - 3 months or 5,000 kms - you may upgrade, if you haven't already, to 10w30 - 10w40. If high mileage on your vehicle then you may want to use 20w50.

• A tune-up may have been done in the Winter or Spring. Once a year or 20,000kms is the norm. Telltale signs that you may be due for a tune-up is a decrease in gas mileage, engine is running rough, hard starting, acceleration is sluggish, pinging noises, hesitations and stalling.

• If your vehicle is fuel injected, along with the tune-up have the mechanic perform a purge on the E.F.I. system. This should be done every couple of years. It is very important to maintain the fuel injection system.

• Check tires and pressures: it may be time for rotation or balance.

• Check the brakes especially if you are experiencing any pulsation, squeals, rubbing or whistling noises. Have the brake fluid changed - this will extend the life of brake system components, and reduce risk of failure. Your vapour lock point will be maintained to a high boiling point.

  Yearly flushing of fluid will greatly help those of you with A.B.S. Brakes, as the tiny openings in A.B.S. can easily become plugged, and the blockages can result in your having to change a very expensive master cylinder!.

We hope this information will help you when taking the car to your garage. At least you will know what to say to your mechanic!

NOTE:Service recommendations will vary according to makes and models. Use our information simply as a guideline, and consult your Owner's Manual for any specifics pertaining to your particular vehicle, which may differ slightly in mileage service times.