Preparing your Car for a Road Trip

Posted May 23, 2016

‘Tis the season for summer road trips! Whether you load your car with snacks, music, and friends or hit the road solo, preparation is key for a successful road trip. Have you fully prepared your vehicle for this trip?

Without proper preparation for your vehicle, the trip could result in expensive repairs, missed time enjoying the vacation, and memories that rival the Griswold’s family vacations…

Before you head out, prepare your vehicle with these 5 tips:

1. Exterior walk around. Inspect your headlights, brake lights, turn signals. Glance at your license plates to verify your tags are up-to-date. Make sure windows and mirrors are clean and clear for your safety and your families viewing of the ensuing adventure.
2. Tires. Look more than a glance that they are still round and black.  Checking tread depth, tire pressures, and inspecting that your spare tire is ready to use, if needed, are critical. A common culprit on road trips, but checking before you hit the road lowers your risk for a flat tire on the journey.
3. Vehicle fluid check. Your vehicles cooling system has to work much harder in the summer months.  Check fluid levels and condition, including oil, transmission, brake, and washer fluid. If you’re not sure how to check the fluids, call or stop by our auto shop in Fountain.
4. Battery inspection. Batteries never fail at a good time.  Summer heat is especially hard on them.  Verifying your battery has good voltage is important, as a failing battery will force your alternator/generator to work harder and lead to a charging system failure.
5. System service inspection. It is a good idea to have other systems inspected.  Checking you exhaust for leaks is critical for long road trips with a number of passengers in the vehicle.  Inspecting suspension components, brakes, belts, and hoses are just good preventative maintenance to perform, especially before hitting the road. Stop by Book’s Automotive Service for a full vehicle inspection to understand the exact condition of your vehicle before your next road trip.

AAA alone handles over 30 million calls each year from stranded motorist.  If you have a AAA membership, grab your card before you leave. Don’t forget to include our phone number – 719.382.5691 – our team of experienced auto repair experts are available to help answer any of your vehicle questions and auto repair advice.

Having your vehicle inspected at a qualified auto repair business can insure many of these items are inspected and road-ready for your travels.  With some preparedness before you leave, you greatly increase the odds of a fun, safe, and incident-free journey this summer.

To schedule your pre- road trip inspection, request an appointment online.

Categories: Auto Repair

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