Is your car ready to take on the rainy season? Get all the help, tips, and details here.

Long drives in the monsoon season are like icing on the cake. No doubt rides in the rain are uplifting and fulfilling. But as usual, monsoon season comes with its own set of possible car troubles. If your car is not in top shape, even the smallest of car damage incidents can snowball into a massive pocket burn, and even worse, accidents can happen.

So, if you are wondering how to prepare your car for the rainy season, let’s take a look at maintenance tips that will come in handy for the rainy season.

Avail a Complimentary Check-Up

Most of the brands and service centers offer complimentary check-ups and vehicle health assessments during this season. So, do check if you can avail a free session and have your car checked by the experts for the rigors of driving in the rainy season. With timely car care in monsoon, you can detect possible bigger troubles at this stage.

Tyre treading, alignment, and balancing

Tyre treading helps to gain control of vehicles on roads overflowing with rainwater. Essentially, your tyre threading is the cushion between unexpected skids and slips. As you know, 1.5 mm is the legal requirement for cars to be road-safe. However, many experts suggest that 2.5 mm and above is the ideal tyre treading depth for the rainy season. So, pay attention to measuring the tread depth. If your tyres’ treading doesn’t meet the minimum depth criteria, the water evacuation by tyres is hampered. And, ultimately the braking distance gets increased and leads to skidding.

One way to do so is through the coin test. Insert a one rupee coin in the tread marks of the tyre. And if you can see tyre depth till the level of the year mark on the coin, then it is safe. If lower, then tyres need to be replaced. You can also gauge the tread depth by Tread Wear Indicators on the tyres. If you see the overall depth has descended near the level of TWI then consider replacing your tyres.

If the threading is still intact, and your tyres are older than 5 years, but still you can see visible signs of wear and tear, then consider getting new tyres to avoid any tyre safety issues. For unexpected punctures and flat tyre situations, maintain a spare tyre in top condition. You won’t find a repair shop open all the time.

Lastly, also check if your car’s wheel alignment and balancing are in top shape. These checks are best done by professionals.

Wipers and Windscreens

The rubber pads of the wiper blades get hardened and become brittle by the heat of summer. This means your windscreen doesn’t get spanking clean and crystal clear visibility needed for a safe driving experience gets compromised.

So it is highly recommended to get the wiper blades changed before the onset of monsoon season. Further, if your schedule doesn’t allow you to get it done and you generally drive after the sunset, keep a can of windscreen cleaner in your vehicle. You can effortlessly get rid of foggy and misty windshields with a suitable anti-fog demister and glass cleaner. These specialized cleaners also coat the glass surface with hydrophobic layers that clear off rainwater from the windscreen.

Don’t forget to check the windshield cleaning reservoir, it should have sufficient wiper cleaning fluid.

Complete toolkit and first aid kit

One other small thing to pay attention to is having a fully stocked first aid kit in your vehicle. Check if all the essential medications have not expired. While you are at it, do check whether your toolkit is complete to fall back upon in emergencies.

Interiors and foul smell

One of the most common annoyances of the rainy season is the foul smell that gets built up even if there is no food item left in the vehicle.Fabric based floor mats get damp and become stinky. Either avoid using fabric mats, or clean them regularly every week. In any situation, having a lovely car perfume is always a good idea to both avoid foul smell build-up and to otherwise block the bad odors.

Under-body anti-rust coating

The under-body area of your needs to have an anti-rust coating. Normally these coatings last for at least 5 years. Under-body coating provides long-term protection from corrosion to the car's under-body. It also protects parts like internal body panels, frame rails, and other inner cavities that are not physically accessible but are prone to corrosion.

Get an expert opinion on whether your car needs a fresh coating. A key thing to consider here is the net-like structure on the car body below the wipers. This area gets frequent water exposure and is prone to rust. Have a look at this part and renew the coating if necessary. Sometimes leaves clog these pores and lead to water getting stagnated there. So, do keep in mind to regularly clean this area.

Mudflaps

People on the road getting splashed by cars passing by is a common sight on Indian roads and not a great one. Make sure your car’s mud flaps are intact to avoid any unpleasant experience for passers-by.

Rubber cladding on doors

The rubber cladding on door and window frames is important for preventing the seepage of rainwater in the car interiors. Check if the rubber cladding is intact and not broken. If left unchecked, the rainwater can corrode and damage the door winders and speakers. It pays to regularly keep them dust free to prolong their shelf life with a suitable all purpose cleaner for rubber parts.

The ever lurking danger of rats

Avoid parking your car at spots in the vicinity of a garbage dump. Also, keep in mind to park away from drainage and sewerage lines. In both situations, the probability of a rat sneaking into the engine area is very high. But since ensuring these things is not always possible, it is highly recommended to regularly use a rat repellent that will eliminate the chance of a rat getting inside the hood.

Have a general inspection of the engine area. Look for any cuts or live wires in the engine setup. If you notice a minor cut, use tape to fix it.

In conclusion

With the above-listed monsoon car care tips, you can be sure of taking your car out for a spin, anytime. Once you have gone through these basic steps, you won’t need to seriously consider unconventional car care tips for the rainy season like applying Vaseline on battery terminals can prevent short circuiting.

Besides the general improvement of vehicle health, these tips will ensure smooth and powerful performance, and totally eliminate that awful situation of being stranded helplessly on the road without any help in sight. In other words, as they say, precautions are safer than sorry, keep your car ready to take on the rains with our quick tips.