Road trip season has officially arrived, and now you just have to make sure your car is up for an adventure. Otherwise, you could end up on the side of the road instead of traversing the country. Thus, check out some tips for preparing your car for a road trip. Then, you’ll be ready to go wherever the open road takes you.
Check Your Fluids
Checking your fluids should be first on your list before embarking on a road trip. First, check your owner’s manual to find out how often you need to change your oil and replace your fluids. This includes your radiator, brake, power steering, and transmission fluid. If it’s not time to change it, inspect the levels, and add fluid if needed. Also, if the fluid looks dirty, take it to a mechanic to replace it before leaving on your trip. You’ll need to do this, even if you haven’t reached the mileage milestone for changing the fluid.
Make Sure Your Tires Are Road-Ready
Your tires are next on the list. First, tires typically need to be replaced every 25,000-50,000 miles. If they’re at the end of the life span, get new ones before your trip.
If you’re going to keep your existing tires, make sure they’ve been rotated within the last 5,000-8,000 miles. Also, check the pressure. Overinflated or underinflated tires will impact performance and fuel efficiency and even put your safety at risk. Thus, use a tire pressure gauge to check your tires, and add or remove air if they are under or overinflated. Then, keep the gauge handy, so you can check your tires while on the road. It’s a good idea to recheck the pressure every 1,000 miles or so.
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Check the Brakes
You don’t want your brakes to go out while driving, so give them a once over before leaving. If you notice squealing, screeching, or poor performance, it’s time to replace the pads.
You also need to replace your brake pads if they’ve reached the end of their life span. Some brake pads last 25,000 miles, while others can go 75,000 miles. Thus, check your owner’s manual to find out when you need to get new brake pads.
The team at Berglund Automotive in Roanoke, Virginia, can help you get your car road-trip-ready. First, schedule a service appointment on our website or give us a call. Then, drop your vehicle off for maintenance and repairs before heading out.
Are you concerned that your car might be past the point of repair? You can skip the service appointment and stop by to look through our inventory of new and pre-owned vehicles. We carry options from top manufacturers, including Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Jeep, Jaguar, and Infiniti, making it easy to find your ideal ride.
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