Winter can be as hard on our cars as is it is on us! Dirty, slushy, salted roads can cause rusting and other structural damage, while the freezing temperatures give our engines a royal workout. A spring cleaning is fine, but your automobile needs more than that before it’s ready for a road trip. Whether you take it to a professional or do it yourself, these the following recommendations will help to keep you, your family, and your car safe and secure as you enjoy your holiday fun.
Check Tires
Tires get worn, dried out, and cracked over time, and many blowouts occur for this reason which can be easily remedied. Check your tires and look for cracking or worn treads, If they are in good condition, make sure they are inflated with the manufacturers air pressure recommendation. Make sure you check your spare tire as well!
Test Air Conditioning
As you know, it gets pretty hot in this are during the summer, and if you’re headed west or south, you’ll want to make sure you can keep cool! Check to make sure the compressor for your air conditioning system is in working order and that it blows cold air. If not you mat need more refrigerant.
Check Coolant Levels
Keeping ourselves cool is important, but it’s important to keep our auto cool as well. Make sure your coolant levels are topped up; overheating occurs much more readily in hot summer weather.
Inspect Windshield Wiper Blades
The cold air of winter and constant use against ice and snow can damage the blades of your wipers. You don’t want to get stuck in a summer downpour on the highway or interstate and not be able to see where you’re going.
Give Your Car a Good Cleaning
The salt and sand mixes used to melt ice and snow can accumulate under your car and trigger corrosion which could affect important cables and tubing.
Get Road Maps for Where You’re Traveling
A hard copy of the roads you’ll be traveling may come in handy if your GPS or cellphone can’t connect in areas of bad reception. Google Maps also gives you the option of printing the directions. Just make sure you pull over safely before reading a map.
Check Lights and Indicators
Make sure all of your lights and indicators are working. Indicator lights are especially important!
Check Your Auto Insurance Policy
If you’re taking expensive toys with you on your road trip; motorcycle, bicycles, jet ski, boat, make sure that you have proper coverage for these extra items. Ask one of our agents about bundling discounts. You don’t want your summer to turn into a bummer!
