If your car has a coolant leak, getting it fixed immediately could keep it from turning into a huge repair bill. Even if you have a pinhole leak in one of the radiator hoses on your used cars, it can turn into something major if it is not repaired soon. The brutal heat of summertime can speed up the process and leave you stranded in the middle of the hot sun.

Luckily, there are things you can do to keep this from happening to you. The most important thing you can do is to look under your hood regularly. With the engine cold, open the hood and check the condition of the hoses and belts connected to the radiator. If any of them have cracks or if they appear brittle, they should be changed immediately.

“Just squeeze them,” explained one auto expert. “If rubber starts going bad, it’s hard and brittle.”

This is just one thing you can do to make sure your used cars are running efficiently and smoothly throughout this hot summer season.