Top Tips for Driving My Summer Car

‘My summer car’ can mean one of two things: (a) you’re talking about driving your car during the summertime or (b) you’re all about the trending car themed game. Many are doing both, we’d say. According to Google’s analysis, if you search for car + summer, this topic is trennnnnding!

In this article we don’t shirk on either topic because let’s face it – with summer in full force our cars are going to need to withstand the heat. That could leave many of us taking refuge indoors under the protection of aircon… potentially playing ‘My Summer Car’.

Without further ado, let the games (and summer driving protection) begin:

What is the goal of My Summer Car?

Have you ever dreamed of building and driving your own car? (Many of us have probably only dreamed of the latter). If you said yes, then great – that’s the goal of My Summer Car.

This immersive game, with great voice acting and soundtracks BTW, is set in Finland in the 90s. Once you’ve assembled your car, which is modelled on a Datsun 100A, you can drive around and take part in Nordic summer activities.

Besides building, owning and driving your vehicle, maintenance is a central feature of the car themed game. For those who’ve always wanted to know how to do car maintenance tasks, this is your chance to get au fait with how it’s done – virtually – before you try it out on your own car.

Is My Summer Car available on Android?

Yes, like pretty much most apps, My Summer Car is available on Android, iOS, iPhone and iPad. If you’re running it on a PC system, you’ll need 64bit versions of Windows 7, 8, 10 and upwards. However, from January 2024 the game will require Windows 10.

While on the topic of car themed games, here are our 10 top games to play in the car.

Is My Summer Car worth getting?

Generally speaking, it gets great reviews – even though some do say it can at times be confusing to play. After all, you don’t have any instructions while assembling parts and, although they can pretty much only fit together when you place them correctly, you could end up leaving parts out and make your driving risky…

This car themed game has won several awards and accolades:

• People’s Choice Game of the Year 2016 “Kyöpelit” award at 2017 Finnish Game Awards 
• My Summer Car was inducted into the Finnish Museum of Games in 2018

If you’re someone who enjoys getting an eyes on before you buy in, take a sneak preview of this video:

Now onto some summer car trip maintenance tips

Now that we’ve looked at the gamer’s version of My Summer Car, let’s take a look at driving in summer.

We all get hotter in the summer and that includes our vehicles. Cars can generally handle heat, provided they’re well maintained. Here are a few tips to keep your car cool and slick in the summer heat:

1. Check summer car tyre pressure

Heat and cold both affect the way the elements around us work. When it comes to tyres, the air inside them takes up more volume in hot weather and less in cool weather. This causes the tyre pressure to increase in the summer months, making it extra important to keep your tyres properly inflated.

Read more on why tyre pressure is so important to your road safety.

2. Make sure there’s enough engine coolant

While you or I rely on cold drinks (and aircon, don’t forget the aircon!) to keep us cool in summer, your car needs adequate levels of engine coolant.

If you forget to top up petrol the simple fallout is that your car will stop driving. But if you forget to top up on engine coolant you can cause permanent damage to your engine – meaning full replacement. A car without coolant will literally stop working within minutes.

It’s basic summer car maintenance. Keep your car cool because it deserves to be well treated.

3. Use sunshades and window visors

Just as the sun and salty sea air can be harmful to your car’s exterior (read sea air vs car) the sun can do damage to its interior. Here’s where you can step in and give your summer car a shield using sunshades and window visors.

These seemingly simple solutions can do wonders to protect your dashboard from prematurely cracking and can protect your upholstery from fading.

Us humans wear sunscreen and sunglasses… think of sunshades and window visors as your car’s equivalent.

4. Wax your car

Just as you put sunscreen over your moisturiser, giving your summer car a wax after wash helps to protect the paint from harmful UV rays. Let’s face it, we live in Australia where everyone knows the sun to be harmful. We see cars driving around every day looking like they’ve had a bad sunburn and peeled.

If a simple wax and polish can help reduce this risk and make your summer car look cool, why not?

My summer car safety resources

In addition to these four summer safety tips for your car, we’ve also rounded up more useful advice on driving in summer. Here’s your list:

• Summer car care tips
• Driving risks to be aware of in summer
• Summer maintenance tips

My summer car trip

If you’re taking a car road trip over summer, make sure to plan your route, book your accommodation in advance and check for any road closures. At the very least! We’ve put together a heap of road trip ideas to inspire you here:

• Where to Have the Ultimate Australian Road Trip!
• Holiday Road Trip Hacks Everyone Should Know
• Top Ideas for Family Road Trips These Holidays
• Packing for a Car Trip this Holiday: Tips for Getting it Right
• What to See and Do on a Tasmania Driving Holiday
• The Pro’s Guide to Confident Caravan Holidays

Safeguard against break downs

Breakdowns do happen, usually when you least expect them. So, have your car survival kit on hand at all times and carry extra water with you. It’s always a good idea to have extra drinking water in your car, especially during the summer months. This can come in handy if you get stranded or experience a breakdown.

Here’s more on steps to take in a car breakdown and who to call when your car breaks down. Also read about how to stay safe while you’re waiting for roadside assistance.

My summer car insurance

Lastly, whatever you do and wherever you happen to drive this summer, having comprehensive car insurance can help set your mind at ease. Your policy helps pay for damage you cause to other people’s car, damage done to your car and it helps pay for replacement if your car is stolen or written off.

There are a bunch more perks, depending on which of the different types of car insurance you choose. We’ve designed each to suit a different budget and level of cover – it’s up to you.

Click below to start your car insurance quote.