If you’ve got a big road trip coming up, there’s a lot you have to take care of to ensure that you’re ready to go on the day your trip starts. While a lot of your planning and preparation will have to do with where you’ll go and what you’ll do or see while you’re out on the open road, you also need to take the necessary precautions to ensure that your vehicle is ready for all you’re be requiring of it.
So to help make sure that you’ll be able to get there and back again safely, here are three tips for preparing your car for a long road trip.
Check All Your Fluids
Some of the most important parts of your car that you’re going to need to check before you leave home are all the fluid levels throughout your vehicle. Ideally, you should get these all checked out a few days to a week before your set to leave so you can get any maintenance done that is needed.
According to Alex Leanse, a contributor to Popular Mechanics, you’ll want to check your car’s oil, radiator fluid, brake fluid, power steering, windshield wiper fluid, and your transmission fluid. If anything appears to be wrong or at the wrong levels, make sure you either handle the work yourself or take your car in to get professional maintenance work done on it, especially if it’s an automatic transmission service.
Make Sure Your Tires Are Ready
Another vital part of your car that will keep you safe on the road throughout your trip are your tires. Many people neglect to think about or look at their tires as much as they should, which can put you at risk of a blowout or other type of car accident.
Jeff S. Bartlett, a contributor to Consumer Reports, shares that not only should you be checking your tire pressure on a very regular basis, but you’re also going to want to look at the actual makeup and wear of your tires. If the tread is looking uneven or you notice things like cracks, bludges, cuts, or just basic wear, you may want to consider getting these things fixed or replaced before you hit the road.
Inspect Your Lights and Wipers
To give yourself the best ability to see all that’s happening around you as you drive on your road trip, Brian Cooley, a contributor to CNET.com, advises that you also inspect the lights of your car and any wipers you may have. By double-checking that your lights all work and that your wipers are in good working order, you’ll be able to ensure that regardless of what type of weather you might encounter, you’ll always be able to safely see the road ahead of you.
To help you stay safe throughout the duration of your upcoming road trip, consider using the tips mentioned above to prepare your car for your journey.
Selling your car
Make sure that your car is actually roadworthy and if it isn’t consider selling the car and upgrading to something new. Whether this means getting something like a transmission repair or you just need to clean you car out, it’s important to check. If you’re in a time crunch this is a fantastic option for selling your car for quick cash. This will allow you to upgrade to something new are more reliable.
