It's time! Your long-awaited road trip is here! While you’re obviously excited to get on the road, it’s vital that you take the proper precautions, especially if it’s a long trip. Prepping up your car for the ride takes the top spot on the list. After all, the last thing you want is to have car trouble halfway through the trip. So, what do you need to check for exactly? Here’s what you need to know.
First things first
As a starting point you could run a check on your car’s fluids. Make sure you have enough fuel for the journey. If your tank is at the half level or less, fill up enough so as to avoid the risk of evaporation. Afterwards, check your other fluids, including brake, power steering, coolant and engine oil. Ideally, the fluid levels should be in line with your car’s manual. If not, most modern vehicles should provide a guide somewhere around the inspection point – check that fluids fall between the minimum and maximum lines.
Tyres
Once the fluids check out, next is your tyres. Check the tyre pressure of all your tyres. Here, you would need a tyre pressure gauge. If you’re not sure about the appropriate pressure levels, check the figure marked on your tyre. This is the maximum pressure level that the tyre should have.
Afterwards, check for the tread depth to see if the tyres are worn out. This can be done with a simple 20c coin test. Place the coin under a tread groove. If the tread reaches the bill of the Platypus you should be fine. If it doesn’t, it's high time your tyres are replaced. Alternatively, you could do the test with a tread gauge. Ensure that all of the checks are performed on the spare tyre as well.
Brakes and general maintenance
Once you verify the condition of your tyres, run a test on the brakes. Double check your manual to ensure the correct procedure was followed in keeping the brake fluids at an optimum level. Then, check the brakes themselves to verify. Pay attention to the brakes to check if you hear any squealing/screeching noises. This would indicate that your brake pads might need to be replaced.
Lastly, you can see the general maintenance of your car. Check if your car’s electrical systems, headlights, radio and internal lights are in order. Any failure may potentially mean your alternator is having issues. You could also test the other components such as the air filters, wipers, signal indicators to name a few.
Phil Gilbert Kia premium service support
Of course, the last thing you would want to worry about is your car in the midst of planning for a long road trip. There’s always the chance that you might miss a few things while ensuring your car’s health is on par. Situations like this is where professional help proves worthwhile.
Phil Gilbert is here to help. Guests are welcome to visit our service centres in Lidcombe and Croydon and have our team of experts take care of your car. So, come visit Phil Gilbert Kia or you can shop our Parts & Accessories store online today. You can also book a service online, call us on (02) 9735 8400 or contact us here.
