Ram Navami and Muharram festivals mark the equinox or the divide between winter and summer. It is a time when we all spring clean our houses, put away our winter clothes and change our diets and routines for the hot months to come. It is also a time to service our cars and bikes so that they can serve us without problems. There are some things you must especially note yourself even if you have a good service station.

TYRES: If you notice that your tyres seem a bit over-inflated it is probably because they are. The air in the tyres expand with heat and may need correction if you do not regularly check them. If so you should do it now. It is a good time to also look at their tread condition and balancing. If the treads are worn change them because they can skid as easily on loose dust as on a wet road. And, always put your best tyres on the front wheels where there is the maximum work with steering, braking and acceleration. Tyres also wear out unevenly and rebalancing every few months will make your car much smoother to drive. Do not also forget to rotate your tyres, including your spare tyre.

BATTERIES: We often forget that batteries need to be checked and summer heat makes the fluids evaporate faster so begin the summer with the confidence that your car will always start and that the lights will always work. Modern cars have so many gadgets and microchips that they put a much bigger load on the batteries.

LUBES AND FILTERS: Lubes get thinner when the weather warms up and you may need to change a thinner winter grade lube that some people use in colder climates. Proper lubes are the life blood of your engine and improves your car's fuel consumption and exhaust pollution. You must always change your lube filters when you change your lubes to avoid old muck contaminating your new lubricants. And, do not forget your air filter because the dust of summer can quickly clog them up and block the flow of air to your engine. This is the time for servicing.

COOLANTS: Engine heat is a problem in summer and we often forget that the coolant has a finite life and needs to be changed after a few months to keep your engine running cool and smooth.

WIPERS: The monsoon rains may be months away but you might get some summer storms. In any case they need changing every few months as the rubber tends to get dry, brittle and worn so change them now when you are servicing your car. While you are at it check that the tiny nozzles of the windshield washers are not clogged as we need this spray whenever the windscreen gets dusty or dirty.

A good service station will do all these things but the mechanics are sometimes lazy so it's your own responsibility to run a short check list of these things as well as a few more. Check for any muck clogging the radiator, the brake oil and power steering fluid and see that the headlight lenses are clean and clear. Also check that all your accessories and gadgets like the music system, rear view camera or sensors, power sockets, et cetera are working and do not forget to get the upholstery cleaned and dusted preferably with a vacuum cleaner. You always feel good in a nice clean car and blame it when something goes wrong even though most problems could have been avoided if a few moments had been spent in being thorough.

The author is the region's most celebrated automobile columnist