How to Check Your Car before a Road Trip

Planning on going on a road trip soon? Before you do so, you should check your car to make sure that it is in good condition and running smooth. Here's how.

Steps
1 Check the fluids in your car. Checking the oil, coolant and brake fluid levels may help you avoid an accident or an unnecessary breakdown. 
2 Check your air pressure. These should be printed in the owner’s manual or a sticker on the body where the driver’s door shuts. The pressure marked on the side of the tire is the max which must not be exceeded. Also, don't forget to check your spare tire pressure. Often neglected, not doing so will turn a bad time into a worse one if unusable. 
3 If it is almost time to get the oil changed, do it before you leave. A long trip can put additional stress on your motor. Also don't think that adding extra oil by you will work like an oil change, because that does not get rid of the sludge from old used oil. You may not realize this due to the fact that your continuously adding new cleaner oil which makes it appears as if it’s clean oil. 
4 Check your tire wear by using a penny or tread gauge. Tires heat up on long trips which can cause blowouts on worn out tires. 
5 Check your car's air filter. A plentiful supply of clean air to your engine improves it performance. 
6 Wash your car. At the minimum, clean the windows of your car for the best visibility. 
7 Check to be certain that all lights and signals are functional on your car. You will need the help of another person for this. Sit in the car, turn on each light or signal and ask your friend to tell you if it is working or not. Replace bulbs as necessary. Note: occasionally, lights may not work because a fuse needs replacing. 
8 Ensure that you have all emergency equipment inside your car, and that everything works properly. Emergency equipment includes an up-to-date map, cell phone, spare tires and emergency tools. Though usually absent; flares, flashlights, medical kits and fire extinguishers may come in handy in worse-case scenarios. 

Tips
You can get most commercial oil change facilities to do all of this for you at a (semi) reasonable cost.

Clear out trash or unnecessary "junk" from your automobile. Nothing spoils a road trip like the smell of stale Italian fries that fell under the stool.

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