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Kansas Heat Hard On Cars, Too

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flickr Creative Commons

AAA of Kansas is warning drivers about the effects that extreme heat can have on their vehicles.

AAA says it received more than 1,000 calls last week about overheated engines, tire blowouts and dead batteries—all because of the recent high temperatures that hit Kansas. The heat soared in Wichita, surpassing the 100 degree mark more than once.

The auto group recommends drivers test their batteries and replace them, if needed, before they die. Most car batteries last about 3 to 5 years, but extreme weather can shorten the life span.

AAA also recommends making sure tires are properly inflated to avoid a blowout, and checking all fluid levels, such motor oil, transmission fluid and brake fluid.

Drivers should have a summer emergency kit handy in case their car does break down—including water, non-perishable food, jumper cables, basic hand tools and a first aid kit.

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Follow Nadya Faulx on Twitter @NadyaFaulx.

To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.

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Nadya Faulx is KMUW's Digital News Editor and Reporter, which means she splits her time between working on-air and working online, managing news on KMUW.org, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. She joined KMUW in 2015 after working for a newspaper in western North Dakota. Before that she was a diversity intern at NPR in Washington, D.C.