If you are planning a long road trip for this summer, it’s definitely important that you make sure that your car is up for the job before you set off. Safety should be your top priority during a road trip, as not only do you want to avoid breaking down and having your journey cut short, but it’s also important to make sure that your vehicle is not putting you or others in any danger. Since car problems can often be difficult to spot, especially to the untrained eye, it’s a good idea to give your car a full check over before you set off on your adventure.
Checking the Tyres
The tyres are one of the most important parts of your car which you must check before setting off. Not only can worn, under inflated tyres lead to punctures or flat tyres that cause a breakdown and hassle for you on your trip, they can also be dangerous when driving and reduce the effectiveness of the breaks, which could lead to an accident. On the other hand, tyres that are over-inflated can also cause problems, which is why it’s essential that you ensure your car’s tyres are in perfect condition before you drive away. If in doubt, ask a trained mechanic to check them for you. If your car needs a new tyre or set of tyres before you go, visit Asda tyres.
Fluids
Your car is filled with essential fluids which if depleted, could cause a whole range of problems that you really don’t want to face half way through a summer road trip. In order to ensure that your journey isn’t cut short by under-filled fluids in the engine, it’s essential that you check them all and top up when needed before you set off. The engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant, radiator coolant and windscreen wiper fluids should all be checked before you leave to ensure that they are not falling below the mark. Having enough fluid for each of these functions will ensure that your car runs properly throughout the trip without coming into any harm.
Lights
Even if you don’t think that you’re going to be driving in the dark, it’s still hugely important to ensure that all of your car’s lights are in full working order before you leave. If you’ve got a dodgy tail light that you’ve been meaning to get fixed for ages, now is the time to have it sorted out – the last thing that you need is to be stuck driving in the dark when you’re down a light or even worse be pulled over by the police in a strange area. Before leaving, you should check that all lights are working correctly including your full and half beams, tail lights, break lights, fog lights and indicators. Don’t forget to check that your hazard lights work, too – these will be essential if you happen to break down.
Don’t let avoidable problems ruin your road trip – a once-over of your car to make sure that nothing needs seeing to is essential before setting off.
