As Pasadena settles into early-summer weather warm afternoons generally in the upper 70s to mid-80s, cooler nights in the upper 50s to low 60s, mostly dry conditions and some marine-layer “June Gloom” mornings — local automotive expert Mike Kefalas warns that the season’s heat brings a predictable wave of preventable car trouble. Kefalas, who runs JK Volvo at 1587 E. Walnut St. in Pasadena, said overheating and cooling-system failures top the list of problems he sees every June.
“Overheating and cooling-system failures are consistently at the top of warm-weather trouble lists,” Kefalas said. “Southern California’s pattern of long climbs, stop-and-go traffic, and very hot pavement and air temperatures in the LA basin and inland valleys makes it worse.”
Typical repair tickets Kefalas sees this time of year include radiator leaks or clogged cores that trigger high engine temperatures and warning lights. Worn hoses and failed water pumps are also common, especially on older cars or high-mileage freeway commuters. He said many drivers show up with low or degraded coolant, often after ignoring slow leaks all spring.
Kefalas said drivers should check their coolant levels, inspect fans and hoses, and know what to do when the temperature gauge spikes.
Beyond overheating, Kefalas identified four other repairs that spike during June in the Pasadena area.
Battery failures rank second on the list. “People often think of batteries as a winter problem, but heat speeds up fluid evaporation and internal wear,” Kefalas said. “LA’s combination of parked-in-the-sun cars plus frequent short trips is hard on batteries.” He said a battery that is three to five years old often dies right as summer heat ramps up. Common June battery work includes testing and replacement after no-start situations, cleaning or replacing corroded terminals and cables, and alternator and charging-system diagnostics.
Tire failures and blowouts come in third. Hot pavement and heavy loads from road trips raise tire temperatures and failure risk, while potholes, construction zones and debris increase punctures. Kefalas said typical June tire work includes flat repairs and full replacements as drivers prepare for trips, alignments and suspension checks after pothole impacts, and tire-pressure monitoring system diagnostics when higher ambient temperatures change pressure.
Air-conditioning repairs are fourth on the list. Kefalas said a marginal A/C system that seemed fine in spring often fails once the first real heat arrives. Common jobs include refrigerant recharges and leak checks, compressor or condenser-fan repairs, and cabin-filter replacements when airflow is weak or musty.
Brakes and general pre-trip maintenance round out the top five. Kefalas said June is when many drivers finally get their cars checked before summer travel. Brake pad and rotor replacements are common, especially on vehicles that have gone a full school year of commuting. Oil changes with broader under-hood checks belts, hoses, coolant, power-steering and brake fluid are also frequent. Check-engine-light diagnostics often reveal emissions or sensor issues that drivers have been ignoring.
Kefalas also noted that transmission problems, while not always in the top five by volume, tend to surface in summer. Heat plus heavy loads makes existing problems worse, and he recommended drivers pay attention to any unusual shifting behavior.
With Pasadena’s June climate bringing afternoon highs that can push into the mid-80s to near 90 on hot days, rainfall that is essentially negligible at roughly 0.06 to 0.1 inches for the entire month, and the highest temperature ever recorded in the city reaching 113 degrees a record set in June Kefalas said the message is simple: get ahead of the heat before it gets ahead of you.
Those are words of wisdom from this local car expert Mike Kefalas. You’ve got more questions or want him to take care of your car, you can see him at JK Volvo, 1587 E. Walnut St., Pasadena. Talk to Mike at (626) 792-2240.
