Car trouble in Sacramento
Sacramento summers are long and hot, and heat is behind a lot of the car trouble here. National Weather Service climate records for Sacramento include stretches of nine or more consecutive days at or above 100°F, with only one- or two-day breaks between some triple-digit days. Engines, batteries, tires and air conditioners all take a beating in that kind of heat.
Cooling systems
An engine sitting in traffic on a 105-degree afternoon depends entirely on its cooling system: coolant, radiator, water pump, thermostat and cooling fans. Weak spots show up in the heat. If your temperature gauge creeps up in traffic and drops on the highway, a cooling fan or radiator airflow may be the cause. If you see coolant under the car or smell something sweet, get it checked before the next heat wave. Never open a hot radiator cap.
Batteries
Heat is hard on car batteries. It speeds up the chemical wear inside them, and a battery weakened over a hot summer can fail without much warning. If yours is a few years old, ask for a battery test before summer and again before winter.
Air conditioning
In long heat waves, a weak AC system is miserable and, for children, older people and pets, a safety issue. If cooling gets weaker gradually, there's probably a leak. Ask the shop to find and fix it rather than just recharge it. If cooling is fine on the highway but weak at idle, have the condenser fans checked.
Tires
Hot pavement raises tire temperatures and pressures. Check tire pressures in the morning, when the tires are cold, using the numbers on the sticker inside the driver's door, not the maximum on the tire sidewall. Look for cracking on older tires.
Winter fog
In winter, tule fog forms across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys on calm nights after rain, and it's usually thickest just before dawn. In dense fog, headlights, fog lights, taillights and wipers matter. Aimed-high headlights glare back at you; dim or yellowed lenses don't light the road. Ask the shop to check light aim and replace failed bulbs, and replace worn wiper blades before the season.
Mountain trips
If you drive up to the Sierra, long descents heat brakes, and a car with worn pads or old brake fluid can suffer brake fade on the way down. California's Vehicle Code allows tires with metal studs only between November 1 and April 30 each year. If you put on winter tires or chains for the mountains, ask a shop to check your brakes and tires before the trip.
Choosing a shop
Ask how the shop diagnoses problems, whether they charge for diagnosis, and whether they'll call you before doing anything beyond the estimate. Ask what the warranty covers, in writing.