Road Trip Ready Vehicle

Driving across the country can be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience, but are you sure that your car or truck can take the punishment? To be sure, you should contact your local auto mechanic and ask him or her to give your vehicle a nice once-over. Of course, if you want to save money, you can do the checkup yourself. The following six items should be checked before you take your car out on the open road. If you don’t, you may find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere with no ride and no luck.

Flush The Radiator

You should replace your coolant at least once per year. Over time, the radiator coolant can break down and it can begin to corrode your radiator. This can lead to very expensive problems later on. It’s best to just flush it and fill it when it comes to preparing for a long road trip.

Check Your Tires

If you’re going to be traveling in the summer, that likely means rain. Make sure the tread on your tires will accommodate wet or otherwise hazardous roads. You wouldn’t want to find yourself in a ditch or worse. And while you’re down there, make sure you also check your tire’s pressure. Look in the vehicle’s instruction manual for the proper psi.

Replace Windshield Wipers

During the winter months, your windshield wipers can become warped and useless. It’s best to replace them so that you never have to worry about not being able to see in torrential downpours.

Replace Your Air Filter

This should be done at least twice per year. It takes five minutes and it will save you loads of headaches in the future.

How Are Your Brakes?

You shouldn’t attempt a brake job unless you’re specifically trained to do so. That being said, your brakes should be inspected twice per year to make sure that everything is up to par. You never want to take chances with your vehicle’s brakes, especially when you’re traveling a long way on unfamiliar roads.

Check Your Battery

If your battery is corroded or the connections appear loose, try cleaning it and tightening the wires and cords that connect to the positive and negative ports. Use a voltmeter to test the connections. If you’re getting adequate power and you’ve managed to clear the corrosion, you should be good to go. But if your battery isn’t working adequately, it’s better to change it now rather than later. You never know when it’ll die, and it’ll probably happen at the least opportune moment.

If you are heading out on a road trip, contact Auto Air & Electric where we will make sure you get to and from your destination safely with expert auto air conditioner repair  and general automotive services.