Journey

Car Maintenance Tips Before You Set Off For A Road Trip

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Be it summers or winter, going on a road trip is always a fun idea. Before you hit the road, it’s essential to ensure that your car is in its best shape so that you will be able to reach your destination and come back safely. Take time to perform some simple, routine tests on your vehicle. This way you will know if there’s any problem with the car and if not, it will definitely give you peace of mind, letting you enjoy your road trip to the fullest. 

Test Car Battery

The first and the foremost thing every car owner should keep in mind before going on a road trip is to get the car battery checked. It might sound like a ‘no brainer’ but many don’t bother doing so. A battery test will make sure that your car won’t shut down, especially when you are miles away from a service station. 

Check Car Brakes

Take your car out for a test drive or to the service station to get the brakes tested. In case you are wondering that my car brakes work perfectly fine, well here are a few signs that you still need to look out for.

  • Brakes taking more time than usual to come to stop
  • The brake warning light is frequently turning on
  • Notice vibration in your brake pedal
  • Squeaking or grinding noises

If you happen to notice any such thing, don’t wait and get the brakes tested. 

Tire Tread

A successful road trip needs a healthy vehicle with great tires. If you are noticing flat spots down there, it’s a sign that you need to get new tires installed. Tread is essential and ideally, it should have a depth of 2/32 inch. Get it checked before you hop into your car and set to go for that lovely trip.  

Tire Pressure

Many times it happens that we do check the car tire but don’t give much thought to the tire pressure. Read the car’s manual to know the ideal pressure and then measure the PSI in each tire to see how they are holding up. Be double secure by carrying a spare tire in the back of your car in case of unforeseen emergencies. 

Wiper Blades

The town that you live in might not be prone to a lot of rain or snow but you can’t really predict how the weather might change while you are on the road. You have to be confident that your vision won’t get impaired. So check those wiper blades, whether by yourself or you can get it tested at an auto shop. The repairman will also be able to tell you whether the rubber is still viable or it needs to be replaced. 

Best thing is that there might not be any problems with your car but to be safe, taking precautions is wise. Take the control in your hands, inspect your car thoroughly and you are all set to go on that memorable road trip.  

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