What Penrith asks of a car
Where Sydney's heat record was set
The metropolitan area's hottest day so far was 48.9 degrees, at Penrith on 4 January 2020, and Penrith has 67 days a year above 30 degrees. Being inland and the urban heat island both add to it. NRMA says extreme heat can shorten a battery's life, and the radiator, hoses and air conditioning all work harder through a Penrith January.
The climb out of town
West of Penrith the Great Western Highway swings around the southern side of Lapstone Hill to gain the first plateau of the Blue Mountains. Going up loads the cooling system. Coming back down is where brake pads and brake fluid earn their keep, more so with a trailer on.
M4, M7 and The Northern Road
From the east, the M4 Western Motorway brings you in at The Northern Road or Mulgoa Road exits, and the Westlink M7 takes traffic north and south. On a daily commute of that length, the kilometre figure in the service book can come round well before the month does.
Pink slips in Penrith
A light vehicle more than 5 years old generally needs a pink slip each year before its rego can be renewed, and only an AIS station can issue one. The report stays valid for 6 months. Pink slips and blue slips in Sydney has the detail.
The jobs that come up in Penrith
Cooling systems, batteries and air conditioning lead the list once summer arrives, with brakes close behind for anyone who drives the mountains often. Servicing to the book and tyres come up everywhere, and here the long motorway runs add the kilometres quickly.
If the temperature needle starts climbing on a hot afternoon, pull over somewhere safe and switch off. Don't open the bonnet or the radiator cap while it cools: NRMA says that can take more than an hour. Car overheating covers what to do next.
If it were our car
We'd have the cooling system and battery checked in spring, before the 30-degree days start stacking up, and mention any regular trips over the mountains so the mechanic looks hard at the brakes as well. A tired battery is a much easier fix in your own driveway than in a lookout car park halfway up the range.