Planning on going for long drives over the weekend? Here’s how you can make sure that your car is in good working condition! Most of the time, long drives and different road conditions can make a dent in our car’s performance. So, to make sure that nothing’s in the way of your epic road trip, maintenance checks and proper preparation needs to be in the works. Here are the simple ways to prepare your car for roadtrips.
Roads can take a toll on your car.
When you’re planning on road trips, most often than not, you won’t know what road you’ll be traveling in (unless of course, you’ve been there before). If you’re traveling on smooth even roads, then that’s a plus. However, if you’re traveling on rough and uneven roads, then that’s bound to put stress on your car. Here are some ways how rough roads can ruin certain parts of your car…
Pothole risks – Potholes are the holes on the road that are mostly caused by heavy rainfall. This is because the asphalt used is not of high quality which is why they sink during heavy rains. They accumulate water over time which is why sometimes they are not easily spotted. Naturally, when a car runs over them, this may cause a couple of issues for your car. This is why some cars avoid running over them all the time.
Risks that your car might experience:
- Tire blowouts and wheel damage – When the wheels plunge deep into the pothole, they might hit something sharp and this will cause your vehicle to flat out. In line with this, you might even experience a tire blowout.
- Steering system misalignment – This can ruin your steering components.
- Exhaust-system damage – Again, deep potholes can also cause damage to the exhaust systems especially if it scrapes. This will risk your passengers of inhaling carbon monoxide.
- Internal injuries and impact pain – This one is mainly for the people inside the car. Sometimes these potholes can be too deep and may cause passengers to experience impact pains or worse, internal injuries.
Prep your car for the road trip ahead.
Going back, these are the most ideal preparation practices that you should do before going on the road trip. It’s not only car batteries and tires you should check, but you should go the extra mile and check everything else too. Take note that these trips can sometimes be burdensome to your car since there are a lot of harmful environmental elements that may affect their performance. Therefore, it’s very important to make sure everything’s working soundly before going on that long road trip!
1 Consider a tune-up at least 3 days (or a week) before your trip.
Tune-ups are like thorough car check-up that mostly focuses on engines. You can get a tune-up where you bought your car. According to Toyota, these are usually the things they look for in a tune-up…
- A detailed engine inspection
- Change out any worn or damaged spark plugs
- Changing out your fuel filters
- Replacing your air filters
- Adjust the clutch (if your vehicle has a manual transmission)
- Fix any faulty electronic engine components
2 Check battery.
We’ve all experienced having our batteries go out in the middle of nowhere and we can all agree that it’s the worst thing that can happen to any of us. One thing to check with batteries is faulty wiring. If in any case, you found it damaged, make sure to have it replaced before you go on a road trip. Keep in mind that it’s easier and more affordable to replace your batteries before any damages occur that waiting for them to actually break down.
3 Make sure all lights and signals work.
One of the most vital parts of a car is its headlights and tail lights. This is the primal communication you have when you’re on the road so you might want to make sure that it’s working well.
4 Check your car fluids.
Here’s a list of what you should check…
- Engine oil
- Steering fluid
- Break fluid
- Transmission fluid
- Windshield washer fluids
5 Align and balance your tires.
Going through rough and uneven roads may cause damage to your car’s alignment. This may cause trouble for you when you’re running at high speeds. That little misalignment might pave way for major issues to take place. So before going on the road, make sure that your tires are balanced and aligned.
6 Inspect your tire tread.
This is for the slippery slopes that you might encounter on the road. Your tire treads help channel water away so that your tires can stay in contact with the road. This is an important safety measure for your car since there’s a big chance you can lose control of your car without them.
Get your batteries from an authorized distributor.
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