Whether you’ve just moved to Grenada or are eyeing up a move in the near future, it’s worth remembering that it won’t just be you that has to adjust to the humidity and heat, but your car, too! If you’re buying a car in Grenada or moving your motor overseas, there are a few things you can do to keep your vehicle performing at its best during warm weather (and especially in a tropical climate).
We’ve personally tried and tested all of the following ideas, so you have our seal of approval to go ahead and add them to your own maintenance and care schedules (whether you already have a car or are buying via Island Motors!).
Keep Your Car Hydrated
By hydration, we mean water and oil. In a tropical climate like Grenada’s, any vehicle is prone to overheating and developing thick, nasty burned oil sludge, and seeing its transmission fluid decay.
Therefore, we recommend regularly checking your fluids, both visually and for odd smells. It’s also vital to keep your oil topped up and to make sure it’s of good quality. Coolant, too, is a major plus in this heat. Keep it filled all the way up if you can. It’s not just you who needs to stay hydrated!
When it comes to oil, several of us here at Island Motors swear by the synthetic kind. That’s because it’s the best type of oil to withstand high temperatures for as long as possible. You won’t get that nasty sludge or burn out so often.
Monitor Your Tire Pressure
This one’s a given all year round, but in a tropical climate, your tires are at even higher risk of getting worn down thanks to hot paving and roads.
Never be too cautious when it comes to patching up and even changing tires. We recommend having one or two fresh tires on standby if you use your car a lot, and especially if you intend to keep it rolling across Grenada’s varied terrain on long trips.
Above all, keep a close eye on where service spots are located across the island. You never know when you might need to pop in to pump up your tires and get moving again.
Check for Cracking
Under immense heat pressure, even the hardiest of vehicle materials can crack and deteriorate. That means it’s always worthwhile checking that your internal belts and fixtures are complete and working as expected, and ensuring that any internal hoses are fray-free.
Check these fittings as regularly as you can, as you never know when heat damage can strike. The same goes for windshield wipers, which (as you might imagine) crack up and dry out in extreme heat. In fact, the best way to care for them is to cover up (more on that below), but if you start to notice heat damage, be sure to swap them out.
Cover Up and Clean
You’ve got to care for your car’s exterior, too! UV rays and salt can damage your vehicle in high temperatures, so try to keep it under fitted coverings when not in use (i.e., in the garage).
Beyond that, a great way to get sea salt off your car is to keep washing and waxing. Clean too infrequently, and that salt can stick and scratch, really spoiling your vehicle’s looks. However often you clean your car right now, we say double it!
Look After the Internals
It’s what’s inside that counts! In tropical weather, car batteries can actually suffer more than they do in the abject cold. Fluids are at risk of evaporating, and connections can wear down. So, be sure to clean off buildup carefully and to use distilled water to top up the fluid.
And then, there’s your A/C unit. You’re going to need this a lot if you’re moving to and motoring in Grenada, so make sure you book it in for a check over with a trusted engineer or mechanic at the start of the hot season. You won’t need to do this too regularly, but it’s still a good idea to have your internal cooling working at its best before the heat really starts to kick in.
Driving around Grenada is a lot of fun, especially with a new second-hand car you’ve bought as soon as you’ve landed. However, our cars are sensitive beasts, and while they’re more resilient than ever before, do follow all our tips here to keep your vehicle revved up and ready to go.