Car Maintenance Before a Long Road Trip: 10 Tips for You
Thinking of going on a long road trip? This is a well-recommended move that comes with several benefits when timed right. A long trip can be a welcome break from the humdrum of everyday life, and it can also help you create many great memories. That said, before you indulge your adventurous spirit and embark on an exciting road trip, it’s a good idea to get your car checked. Checking your car for maintenance before a long road trip is essential for one important reason — peace of mind. With that in mind, here is what you need to know about car maintenance before a long road trip.
Adust the Steering, Suspension, and Alignment
It goes without saying that you’ll be doing a lot of steering while on a long road trip. Your ability to have a smooth ride and steer properly is impacted by the state of your car’s suspension system and whether your vehicle’s wheels are properly aligned. To kick off your car maintenance before a long road trip, you should watch for anything that indicates steering, suspension, or alignment problems. For instance, if your car feels like it has poor steering control or a steering wheel that’s off-center, it’s best to get it checked out by an experienced mechanic. Your mechanic will perform an alignment inspection or steering/suspension inspection and make the necessary adjustments.
If you need to replace major suspension components, it’s also a good idea to have your car aligned. The good news is that this is a fairly affordable procedure that comes with many benefits. When your car is properly aligned, this can reduce the wear and tear on your tires, and it also helps reduce the car’s fuel consumption. Most importantly, your car will be easier to handle, and this can go a long way towards keeping you safe and ensuring a smooth drive while on your long road trip.
Get Your Tires Checked
When it comes to car maintenance before a long road trip, having your tires checked is one of those things that’s par for the course. Checking your tires might seem like a simple exercise, but there are many things to look out for. If you’re going on a summer road trip and still have your winter tires fitted, the first step is to replace them with high-quality, all-season new tires. You also need to check the tread of the tires. If you have old tires, you might find that the tread is too low to head out for a road trip. In that case, you need to invest in a new set of reliable tires. If the tread on your tires looks good, you still need to inspect them thoroughly to ensure they don’t have any nicks, punctures, or damage.
Another thing that you need to check is whether your tires have enough air. Thankfully, bringing your tires to an optimal pressure level is a quick and inexpensive process that will ensure you can safely rely on your tires as you cruise down the highway. Remember, your tires are one of the essential components of your car – the component that’s directly in contact with the road. When you take care of them, they’ll also take care of you.
Get Your Brakes Checked
If effective car maintenance before a long road trip is your top priority, then you should get your brakes checked. While on an extended road trip, there’s nothing more important than ensuring that your brakes are functioning as they should. You should get your brakes inspected so that the mechanic can perform any crucial fixes that will keep you safe on the road and possibly save your life. You can’t overlook the braking system when performing car maintenance before a long road trip because it’s a critical safety feature that needs to be serviced regularly. When your brakes are not in the best condition, there are several warning signs to watch out for.
For starters, you might hear your brakes making strange sounds. If your brakes make a squealing sound when you press your foot down, this indicates that they need to be replaced. You may also hear your brakes making a harsh grinding sound, which is a sure sign that brake pads are worn out. The scary part about having a faulty braking system is that it’s difficult to stay in control of your car. Your car might pull to the side while braking, or you might have trouble bringing the car to a quick halt no matter how much you press down. Given all this, having your brakes checked is at the top of your to-do list for car maintenance before a long road trip.
Get the Fluids Checked
When it comes to car fluids, engine oil is one of the most important fluids in your car that deserves your attention from time to time. Even though many people have a habit of neglecting to change their engine oil, which tends to get old and dirty over time. If the engine oil is not changed, this will reduce the efficiency of the car and impact its performance. Letting your oil get too low means your car will not run at all. The best practice is to get rid of the old and dirty oil and replace it with the right amount of clean oil.
You can also replace the oil filter while at it. The good news is that most people can easily learn how to change their oil. If you want to avoid the hassle, all you have to do is pay a small fee to an auto service center, and they’ll do it for you. Besides the engine oil, you also have to get other fluids checked, such as the engine coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, windshield washer fluid, and water for the radiator. The fluids need to be inspected and topped up before hitting the road.
Ensure Your Air Conditioning Is Working
Most people tend to go on a long road trip in summer when the weather is warmer. If the weather gets too warm for your comfort, you’ll fare much better when you can simply reach out and turn on the air conditioning. This is especially important if you’re driving with your family because when the temperatures start soaring, the car’s interior can start feeling cramped and hot pretty quickly. You might think that air conditioning might not be an essential part of car maintenance before a long road trip, but it is simply because a long road trip is all about enjoying yourself.
However, it’s hard to do that when it’s scorching hot outside, and the air conditioning in the car is of no help. So, be sure to test and inspect your air conditioning well in advance. You can start by turning your air conditioning on to see if it’s running smoothly. If you know a thing or two about cars, you can also check under the hood and inspect the AC condenser near the radiator. The goal is to make sure that the flow of air through the condenser is unrestricted. If you notice anything, then the condenser needs to be cleaned. Before your road trip, your air conditioning should operate smoothly once you turn it on.
Test the Car Battery
It’s strongly advised to test your battery and electrical system so that you don’t go on an extended drive with a battery that’s about to show signs of weakness. This is something that your mechanic can easily do, and it can help reduce the risk of battery failure while on the road. The point of testing your battery is to ensure that the car battery has a sufficient voltage measurement when fully charged. If you have already been experiencing issues with your battery system, it’s crucial to check if the battery is still capable of holding a charge and identify anything that might be causing the battery to discharge. It’s also important for the car battery to pass a load test.
Check Your Car’s Headlights
Checking your car headlights is not optional since a faulty headlight can result in serious consequences. To begin with, you must avoid starting your road trip with bulbs that are not working or which look dim. If you have any bulbs that are dimmed or not working, these need to be replaced immediately. Even if the bulbs are working, they need to be cleaned to boost the brightness and strength of the light beam. It’s crucial that you be able to see clearly and consistently when driving at night, especially if you’re driving on unfamiliar roads. You’ll be able to see the road signs and markings better. Poor visibility because of a burned-out light can increase the cost of your auto insurance plan if your car gets damaged in an accident because you neglected your car headlights.
Get Your GPS Sorted
When you have a long road trip ahead of you, chances are, you’ll end up in many places that you’re not familiar with. Instead of whipping out a hard-to-read map, why not get on board with technology and get the GPS in your car sorted? It doesn’t have to be expensive because you can also find a portable GPS system if your car doesn’t have a built-in one. With GPS, you can navigate the most unfamiliar territories with ease with no worries about getting lost.
Maintain the Exhaust System
Have you thought of taking your car to an exhaust service and having the professionals check the condition of the exhaust system? If not, this is another highly recommended part of car maintenance for those planning to take a long road trip. A faulty exhaust system can result in a wide range of issues, all of which you wouldn’t want to encounter in the middle of nowhere. The top sign that your exhaust system requires some maintenance is if your engine is making popping or hissing noises. Issues with your exhaust system can lower the fuel efficiency of your car and cause other problems.
Perform General Maintenance
There are a lot of things to consider when performing general car maintenance before a long road trip. It’s all too easy to overlook some of the things that could negatively impact your road trip. The best idea is to have a checklist of all the things that need to be attended to. If you take your car to a local auto repair shop or auto service center, you should be able to get a detailed breakdown of the things that need to be fixed. The list includes spark plugs, air filters, cabin, and fuel.
You can also add an emergency kit so that you’re always prepared for most things that can go wrong with your car. It’s good to have that added backup because the unexpected can still happen no matter how much you prepare. While on the topic of general maintenance, there’s also a lot you can do to make your road trip more fun, enjoyable and comfortable. To ensure you have entertainment, you can do things like getting your radio fixed or installing a car muffler so that you can hear your favorite music properly.
The last thing you want is to wonder if your car is okay after you’ve already embarked on your road trip. Car maintenance before a long road trip is essential because your car will need to be in the best condition to handle a long drive vs. a short commute. The truth is, even if your car appears to be in the best condition, there may be potential problems developing under the hood. These need to be fixed to avoid getting stranded in the middle of nowhere and having to call a roadside assistance service or get professional flat tire assistance. By following this checklist for car maintenance before a long road trip, you’ll know with more certainty that your car is just as up for the trip as you are.