The onset of the rainy season in India is underway with highly humid monsoon winds hitting the landscape in different parts of the country. For the majority of the population in India, Monsoon is the toughest to face for the driver and harshest on our vehicles. Good luck with the first circumstance, avoid driving as much you can if you lack experience with harsh conditions. But we could help you with handling the second issue, which is depleting its hit on your car so that you can make it through comfortably without serious issues.
The accident rates are high during the rains which can be attributed to decreased visibility, physical issues like lack of friction, and mechanical issues with crucial systems of your vehicle. We are going to discuss some of the issues which could arise with some of the crucial parts of your car which can put you in trouble.
Monsoon Car Care Tips: Take care of these parts of your car
Tyres
Tyres are the only contact between your vehicle and the road but unfortunately, it is the most ignored part by many users. One should regularly check the condition of tyres. And this should not be done in the rains only, try to accompany it into your regular quarterly schedule.
Tyres ensure the required amount of friction with the road using treads. Treads are basically the patterns which are pretty noticeable on every unit you see. They play an important role in braking as well. These treads were off with use, hence their effectivity on the roads also decreases and that has a direct effect on the friction.
We aim for a pure rolling motion of wheels.The water on the roads makes them smoother because a water layer forms over them and car tyres with low friction sometimes tend to ride over the water layer and not the road itself, this is called aquaplaning. Now aquaplaning is extremely dangerous because tyres slip and may cause fatal acci dents.
So if your tyres’ treads have worn out more than 70-80% you should definitely get them changed.
Brake Pads
These are extremely important. This is another part of your car which maintains frictions and brings your car to a halt when it’s needed. And brake pads also wear out because of the constant contact and rubbing forces which they face quite regularly.
This is very important to ensure that there is no obstruction between pads and the wheels to ensure good braking performance. This is an issue in the rainy season with excessive dirt and moisture. Hence getting your brake pads checked, and changed, if required is highly recommended.
Air conditioner
It helps in handling your need to maintain visibility in the dewy misty season. It is common knowledge that front defoggers operate through the air conditioning systems. And there is not much to explain the issues of lower visibility while driving. It is the biggest handicap a driver may come across and can be extremely dangerous.
With so much moisture buildup the windscreens clog up with mist pretty easily and it is extremely dangerous and may lead to very unfortunate incidents if not taken care of.
Wipers
They happen to be a critical component as well. They again play a major role in maintaining the required amount of visibility. Water drops on the windshield can be very very vicious. Especially during night time. They disperse the light off of headlamps from a forthcoming vehicle and that could lead to disruption of the driver’s reflex.
And they are another part which faces friction quite frequently so you should get your wipers checked and changed if they are not-functional or if their operation is compromised.
Filters
The Filters of the air conditioning unit and the engine are both required to be clog-free. We have already seen that it is really important to have a well functioning air conditioning system which is not possible without a clean filter.
The clogs in the engine’s filter can hinder car functionality very adversely. With monsoons, clogging up of filters becomes much more common (especially in the drier states).
Lights
Headlights, fog lamps and tail lamps are not given proper attention in the system, especially in India. It is absolutely necessary to have highly functioning headlamps, fog lamps, tail lamps and turn indicators in any season but their importance becomes much more imminent during rains and during foggy weather.
They are necessary to maintain the clear visibility of our vehicle in the mist to other vehicles. Drivers judge vehicles on road by signals from the car’s lights and their improper functioning can cause a serious problem with judgement and may lead to unfortunate circumstances.
