Preparing your Car (and Yourself) for a Road Trip

by Roselands Auto Lakemba Mechanic

Whenever summer approaches, thoughts turn to holidays and trips out. To make sure they’re a success, however, you need to plan and prepare so you can avoid preventable disasters.

For your own safety in these difficult times, you need to take precautions such as keeping your distance and avoiding unnecessary contact when visiting petrol stations, restaurants and bars. Check local guidelines before you go and carry hand sanitisers and wipes with you. Also make sure you pack everything you need, including emergency and first aid kits — make a checklist well in advance so you don’t forget anything vital.

Check your Car before travelling

Road trips can often involve long distances that your car isn’t used to travelling, especially if you’ve been locked down for a period. It may, therefore, be worthwhile getting your car checked over by a Belmore mechanic, although there are some things you can realistically check yourself:

1. A flat battery will be a disastrous start to a holiday so make sure there’s plenty of life in yours. If your car’s been immobile for a while or you’ve had to jump-start it recently, it may be worth attaching a battery charger to top it up. If you’ve had the battery a lot of years, a new one may be a safer bet.

2. Check your tyres are in good condition, with enough tread and no obvious damage. Also, check the pressure and don’t forget this may need to be higher than normal if the car is to be fully loaded.

3. Inspect your brake pads, which you can normally do through the front wheels. You’ll be reliant on good brake performance on a trip so look for signs of wear and damage.

4. Make sure all fluid levels are above the minimum mark. If the engine oil, coolant or windscreen washer levels fall below, top up to the maximum mark. It’s best to check oil and coolant levels when the engine is cold to get accurate readings.

5. Do a visual check of all your lights, including indicators and brake lights. Replace any bulbs that have failed.

6. Ensure the clutch pedal depresses with even pressure, with no noises and that it’s easy to get into each gear. If there are problems, they’re best looked at before they get worse.

Making sure your car is in good condition can be the difference between a happy and successful road trip and one that’s fraught with delays and frustration. If you’re not confident you can carry out checks properly or you suspect you have a problem, ask our Lakemba mechanic to take a look. We’ll sort everything out quickly and without fuss, ensuring you can set off on your road trip with no worries.