Heading out for a road trip? Use these Spring Road trip ideas, sponsored by Central Avenue Chrysler Jeep, to help start your road trip off right.
You should perform monthly safety checks on your vehicles anyway, but before you leave on a long road trip, you want to do an extra check, no matter if you do the checks each month or not. Doing these checks help you to avoid some of the common car issues.
Check Your Wipers – Driving in the rain is never run. When you can’t see, it hinders your driving. If your wipers are smearing the rain and crud across the windows instead of removing it, it is time to get new wiper blades.
Check the Battery – You want to make sure your battery is secured and working properly when you are leaving for a road trip. If the battery is more than 3-5 years old, you might want to consider getting a new battery. That is the life span of a typical battery. Make sure the cables are connected properly.
Check the Brakes – No one ever wants to find themselves with no brakes or brakes that are failing. Check the brake pads and see how much pad is left. You want to make sure that there is at least 50%. If your road trip will be more than 1000 miles, consider having the brakes changed.
Check the Tires- Make sure you check the tires before you go on your trip. You want to make sure the tires are in good condition, without bulges and bumps, wites showing and that the tires have good tread. Tires are a vital part of a road trip. Make sure to have a spare tire, jack and a lug wrench that fits the lug nuts on your car. The lug nuts are not one size fits all, and on the side of the road during a road trip is not when you want to find out.
Check the Lights – You want to make sure all of the lights, like brake lights, tail lights, turn signals and headlights are working. Not only can you get pulled over and get a fine, but it is also dangerous driving without all of the lights working.
Check the Fluids – The fluids in a car are vital. Be sure to check and top off any fluids in the car. These fluids include oil, transmission, antifreeze brake fluid, power steering fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. If you haven’t had an oil change in 3000 miles, or if the trip will push you over that number, consider an oil change before your trip.
It might seem like a lot before a trip, but doing these small things can ensure a safer, less surprising events on your adventures.
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