Planning A Road Trip: Car Maintenance Services You Should Not Overlook Before Hitting The Open Road
Posted on: 26 May 2021
Summertime is a great time to load the family into the car and hit the open road in search of adventure. However, unless you want your next road trip to be full of stories about how your vehicle broke down and left you stranded in the middle of nowhere for hours on end, it is important that you ensure your vehicle has been properly maintained and serviced before you leave on your trip. Below, you can learn more about some of the car maintenance services you will not want to overlook before heading out on your next road trip.
Check The Battery
The last thing you want when away from home is to find that your vehicle won't start due to a dead battery. To help prevent this issue on your road trip, you should always check to ensure the battery is fully charged and free of any corrosion before you leave home. The corrosive acids that are used inside your car's battery can leak and result in serious damage to your vehicle or personal injury if you do not properly disconnect your battery when cleaning away any corrosion on the battery posts. Therefore, this job is best left to the professionals if you do notice any corrosion that must be cleaned as part of your battery maintenance.
Check The Tires
Checking tire pressure and tread before you leave for a road trip can help you to avoid catching a flat tire during your vacation. However, even a brand-new pair of perfectly inflated tires cannot guarantee that you will not get a flat tire due to road hazards. Consequently, you will also want to ensure that you have a spare tire that is in good condition and is properly inflated.
Check Fluids And Filters
You will want to check all of your car's fluids as part of your pre-trip car maintenance as well. This includes:
- motor oil,
- transmission fluid,
- brake fluid,
- antifreeze,
- power steering fluid,
- and windshield washer fluid.
In addition to topping off any fluids that may be a bit low, you will also want to check your vehicle's air filter. Replacing this filter if it is full of dirt and debris can help to prevent acceleration issues and promote good gas mileage throughout your trip.
Check Wipers And Lights
To help ensure your safety while on your road trip, you will also want to check your windshield wipers and exterior lights before leaving for your grand adventure. Be sure that the blades on your wipers are in good condition, and replace them if necessary. You should also ensure that your headlights, taillights, and signal lights are all working properly and that the light covers are cleaned in order to ensure you are able to see well when driving at night.
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