Is your car, vacation ready?
Plan for car-vacation with some rules:
Weekends are the most awaited days for that sedulous one. Weariness has to convert into some enthusiastic means. The best way for the transformation is a long drive to keep in check with nature. Well, a long drive requires a car in such rainy treats. Two words ‘CAR PROBLEM’ can kill the excitement in a heartbeat.
Check a few vitals and make sure if the plan is vacation-ready.
1) Keep a Roadside Emergency Kit– Buy the kit from an auto parts store and it in addition to it gets some more necessities. Here are some basics:
- Jumper cables
- Roadside flares
- 2 or 3 quarts of oil
- Gallon of antifreeze
- Can of tire inflator
- Duct tape
- Flashlight
- Toolkit containing screwdriver, awl and wire cutters
- Bottled water
2) Test Your Car’s Safety Features– Make sure the seat belts unreel and retract as they should after you buckle them. Debris can get caught in the seat belt retractor and keep the restraint from functioning properly. A seat belt that snaps on impact won’t be any help.
After checking on the seat belts and talking about impacts, keep a check on the brakes. In a low-traffic area, accelerate to about 50 mph, and then slam on the brakes. If it takes you more than 100 feet to stop, or if you notice strange noises or grinding sounds, get to a mechanic. You don’t want to keep the vacation short.
3) Look under the Hood– Keep a check on oil, power steering, brake, transmission and windshield washer fluid, too. It removes all the little insects. While you’re under the hood, examine the hoses and belts for any cracks. The battery is marked with the month and year of the installation. If that date was more than three years ago, you have to change the battery. If you haven’t changed the oil then do not delay, have it done before you leave, and get a new air filter while you’re at it.
4) Check the Electrical System– Check everything that crosses your mind–the horn, windshield wipers, and all the interior and exterior lights in your vehicle before leaving for a road trip.
Put a few extra fuses and bulbs in your toolbox in case something goes out on the road. Change the wiper blades, too — if it’s been awhile. Make sure the air conditioner is working at peak performance, and take the vehicle to the shop if it happens to be a little sluggish. That road trip will seem much longer if you’re sweltering on the highway.
5) Check your tires– Don’t wait for the flat tires to drain your vacation mood. Tires being an essential part of the car need to be checked before taking your car far from your town. Make sure you don’t need new tires by checking for “wear bars” – darker strips of rubber shows when a tire is hopelessly worn. Even if the bars cannot be seen, check the tread wear with the time-tested penny trick. Put a penny in the tread and roll it around. If the thread is so worn, definitely get a new tire.
So before you pack your bags for a short vacation and a long road trip, take a break and check your ride carefully.