Getting Your Vehicle Road Trip Ready

May 30, 2020

With warm weather on the horizon, there are so many reasons to hit the road. But special care is needed for road trip season for your car. Car care is necessary year-round, but especially before a road trip, so complete these basic car maintenance tasks before going on the road so your trip can be as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

Check Your Engine Oil

An oil check is an essential part of your road trip maintenance. A well-lubricated engine is a must for any car to function properly. Check your engine oil by seeing if the dipstick comes out with a black or sludgy oil or if the oil is below the required level. For sludgy oil, replacement is advised; do not go for just adding more clean oil.

Fill up your Radiator

You don’t want your engine overheating on a road trip, so it’s best to check up on the radiator fluid or coolant. If needed, be sure to fill it up for a trouble-free road trip. Be aware that low coolant in a radiator could indicate a leak and should be inspected by a professional.

Brake check

You don’t want to be heading out anywhere, especially on a road trip without this essential car maintenance step. Your brakes are a safety net that must be taken care of. If your brakes are a little spongy when applied, or if you hear squeaky or grinding voices when the brake is applied, it’s time to get your brake pads, rotors and/or fluid checked to ensure everything is in working order, and you have top-notch car maintenance.

Windshield check

Your windshield is your window to the road, and you have to see that all associated systems are working correctly. A road trip means that the windscreen gets to face a lot of dirt, grit, and squashed flying bugs. Therefore, it requires cleaning at regular intervals throughout the road trip to give you a clear view ahead. Check all wiper operation, like wiper blades, washer system, and washer fluid is topped up (front and rear, if applicable) for a thorough road trip maintenance.

Steering and Suspension

A road trip is never a time when you want to experience a bumpy and uneven drive. This means that you should have your mechanic check the steering and suspension systems, to ensure that everything is balanced and in order before your road trip maintenance can be complete.

Tire Maintenance

Car maintenance is never complete without a tire check. You don’t want a tire blowout during the road trip leading to a severe accident. You also do not want any excessive fuel burn increasing the cost of your trip. To avoid all this, you should make a thorough tire check before the journey starts. A tire check includes checking the air pressure, tread, and any abnormalities in tire structure. Fill up your tires with the recommended limit using the help of an air pressure gauge and do not exceed it, because overinflated tires will result in the unsmooth drive. Underinflated tires mean extra fuel burn and excessive tire wear.

You also want to check tire treads to make sure they will last the length of the trip. A quick and easy way to check that is the penny test. Insert a penny between the tread marks on your tire and see if the penny reaches to a level where the top of Abe’s head is visible or not. If the top of the head is visible, you definitely need to get a tire change. Also, if you see any bulges or cracks in your tires, a change is in order.

Next, you need to check for unevenness in tire wear. If the tires are wearing away from one side and not the other, then you should take your car for a much-needed tire alignment. Of course, if you prefer a more professional inspection, pay a visit to your favorite mechanical shop

Air Filter

Air filters form a barrier between your engine and all the dirt and debris coming in from the air outside. They’re relatively cheap and easy to change, so try not to skip this vital part of a car maintenance check. A dirty and clogged air filter will lead to decreased engine performance, lower fuel efficiency, and will also affect the air quality inside the car. So make sure to take a few moments and perform this easy yet essential road trip maintenance step.

Head and Tail Lights

If you don’t want to get pulled over for a damaged tail light or end up on a dark stretch of road without proper functioning headlights, so take a few minutes to test out all your lights and signals for this crucial road trip maintenance check. Ask a family member or friend to help you with this test. With one person sitting in the car switching on each light and signal, the other person can walk around the vehicle to ensure that all of them are in working condition or visit your favorite mechanical shop.

Battery

Battery trouble is the last thing you want during your road trip. First, you need to determine if a battery change is in order based on the time since you last changed it. If it’s been a couple of years, you definitely need to consider a replacement. Also, if your engine has a sluggish sound when starting the car, then your battery needs a change. If your battery requires a charge, make sure to have it fully charged before embarking on your road trip. Your favorite mechanical shop can actually run a test on your battery to determine if it requires replacement.

Emergency Breakdown Kit

In case of an emergency, you should have a few things stored in the trunk as part of your emergency breakdown kit. Just take a few seconds to make a checklist of things to pack in a road trip emergency kit. Some of these are towing rope, a big flashlight, electric charger wire, essential tools like a screwdriver kit, wrenches of different sizes, and of course, all the components of your tire changing kit, including your spare tire.

These ten basic checks help you keep your car maintenance up to mark and will also help you have a great road trip, at least as far as your car is concerned!