Check These Common Car Issues Before Your Next Road Trip

Posted by Ben Davidson about 1 years ago

It's crucial that you make sure your vehicle is in optimum condition before embarking on a road trip. Roadside breakdowns can be expensive, annoying, and disrupt your vacation plans. Before you head off and out on the open road, look out for these typical car issues and make sure they are rectified before you start your adventure.

Worn Belts And Hoses

Under the hood of your car, the belts and hoses need to be periodically replaced since they can deteriorate and become brittle with use. Make sure your car's belts and hoses are in good condition before you go on your exciting road trip.

It's a good idea to replace these before you depart if you see wear, even if they don’t look too bad. The cost of repairing these components now might be unexpected and eat into your budget, but doing so will prevent unanticipated issues after you leave, which could cost even more or mean you have to go home again.

Old Brake Pads

Brake pads deteriorate with use, much like belts and hoses do. Consider having your brakes checked by a mechanic to ensure they are in good condition before you go. On interstate highways, proper break function is crucial since you might need to abruptly slow down from a very high speed, for example. You can be confident that your car is capable of the task if you have fresh brake parts installed.

Bald Or Separating Tires

It's essential to inspect your tires before you travel because you'll be driving a lot farther on your trip than you would on a normal journey. Once you get onto the freeway, tires that are bald or starting to split can become ticking time bombs. A blowout can be quite dangerous when moving quickly. Think about bringing your vehicle to a tire shop so a specialist can assess whether or not your existing tires are safe to drive on.

Again, this is potentially a big cost, but imagine how much worse it would be if your tires burst when you were driving along or if they didn’t have the grip to keep you safe on the road. You ideally want your road trip to be fun, not something that puts you in mortal danger.

Low Transmission Or Power Steering Fluid

You hardly ever need to replace your transmission and power steering fluid, unlike oil or coolant. But just like any other fluid, these can run low. Before you go off on your road trip, check their levels to make sure you have plenty in the reservoirs. You should also take your car to a mechanic if either of these fluids is getting low so that they can check it for leaks that could prevent you from having enough on your journey. At the same time, you can check that any transmission repair is carried out, should it be needed.

You can make sure your car is ready for the open road by checking these four items before you leave. You'll be prepared to leave and enjoy your trip safely once you've fixed any problems your car might have.