When planning a road trip, you’ll probably remember to map out your route, book campsites, and set a budget, but it’s also important to make sure your car is in a suitable condition for a long drive.
A fun-filled road trip can quickly turn stressful if you experience a breakdown along the way. Car maintenance checks and a car tune-up before heading out on a road trip will help you ensure a smooth journey.
Car service checks can reduce the likelihood of potential vehicle breakdowns due to a flat tyre, engine failure, a faulty battery, or electrical issues. Following your car maintenance schedule and pre-trip checks before making long journeys will confirm that your car is safe to drive, as well as extending your vehicle’s life, improving its fuel efficiency, and preventing you from having to make expensive repairs.
In this article, we’ve shared a handy checklist of essential car maintenance checks you should consider before making a road trip.
1) Tyres
Checking your tyres is a part of routine car maintenance checks to maintain vehicle safety. It’s essential for maintaining your car’s smooth performance and should be at the top of your car checklist before a road trip.
Underinflated or overinflated tyres can affect fuel efficiency, and you should monitor your car’s tyre pressure to check that your car is safe to drive. Since road trips often involve loading your car with heavy luggage, you might need to use a pressure gauge to keep tyre pressure at optimal levels.
Also check your tyre’s treads to make sure they’re not too worn to drive safely. These basic car service checks, especially before a road trip, are helpful to ensure your tyres are in good condition.
At InTown Automotive, we offer tyre health checks using digital scans to determine wheel alignment, top-up air, and look for signs of wear and tear. Book online for a free-of-charge Tyre health check today.
2) Fluid Levels
Your car contains power steering fluids, brake fluids, and transmission fluids to ensure it can run smoothly and safely. The components inside your vehicle rely on these fluids to function optimally and prevent damage.
Checking your car’s engine coolant levels and topping them up if necessary will help protect your car’s engine from overheating. So, make sure to check your car’s fluid levels regularly as part of routine car service checks.
3) Car Lights
Another must-do service check for cars before a road trip is checking your car lights, which are essential for visibility and safety. Checking your lights is especially important if you’re planning to drive overnight or in low-visibility, or you’re expecting to encounter harsh weather conditions along your route.
During professional car maintenance checks, a mechanic will carry out comprehensive tests to ensure all your car lights function properly. These include checking your hazard lights, headlights, brake lights, and indicators.
4) Brakes
Brakes are the most important safety features in your car, and during car maintenance checks, brake functionality is checked as a top priority. Worn-out brake pads or a squeaky rotor indicate that the brake conditions are less than optimal and need to be fixed immediately.
In Town Automotive offers free visual brake checks to ensure your car is safe for a road trip. Give us a call at 01604 666 700 for a comprehensive brake check today.
5) Car Battery
When was the last time you checked your car battery? Number 5 on our list of essential pre-road trip car maintenance checks is to check that your battery is functioning properly, with no corrosion or loose terminals.
It’s important to note that your car battery may need a professional car service check if the battery is older than three years.
Refer to your car maintenance schedule to check if it’s time to replace your battery. We recommend packing a set of jump leads or a battery booster in your car boot in case you have to deal with battery-related emergencies.
6) Emergency Equipment and Supplies
You might pack an emergency road trip first aid kit for yourself but don’t forget about your car.
Gather all the equipment and supplies that your car might need on the journey, including jump leads, a tyre repair kit, and a power tyre inflator. These are all essential tools to tackle a vehicle breakdown on your road trip.
You can further minimise the possibility of a car breakdown by doing a car maintenance check or booking a professional service check for your car with complete vehicle diagnostics at In Town Automotive.
Contact In Town Automotive for Car Maintenance Checks
Car maintenance checks are essential to keep your car functioning optimally before you set out on your road trip. Following this checklist will help you minimise the possibility of an inconvenient car breakdown.
Make sure to keep up with your car maintenance schedule, and if your vehicle needs a professional car service check, book it into a garage as soon as possible.
At In Town Automotive, we offer MOT services and use vehicle diagnostics to offer top-quality car maintenance checks.
Our experienced engineers conduct comprehensive car service checks to ensure your car is in top condition for a road trip. Whether you need us to inspect or repair your car’s air conditioning, cambelt, or exhaust, or have a turbo replacement, we’ve got you covered.
Explore our services, or contact us to book an appointment today.
bookings@intownautomotive.co.uk