The summer is often the time of year many people take to the open road and do some traveling. Though the heavy gas prices have waivered many people into taking on the road trips, quite a few people are still indulging in the summer road trips. Having car trouble on a road trip is nothing anyone wants to experience. When it comes to a safe and successful road trip, you want to help make the car road trip ready and avoid breaking down. With this in mind, we at Highway 30 Garage would like to share a few tips to help you avoid breaking down on your next road trip.
How to Avoid Car Breaking Down on Road Trip
Check that Car Battery is Good. Dead auto batteries are an incredibly common cause of automotive breakdowns. You want to make sure that it is operating properly, so check the battery and cables. If you want to be thorough, you can generally have a representative of an auto part store test the battery’s efficiency and condition, or even have a mechanic evaluate the battery.
Get an Oil Change. Unless you have really performed one, be certain to do an oil change on your car before leaving on your trip. When the oil has not changed for a while, it can lead to the need for an emergency tow or roadside assistance since oil is absolutely necessary for quality vehicle performance.
Top Off Car Fluids. Your vehicles’ fluids need to be at proper levels and before you travel, you want to make sure the levels are where they should be. The steering fluid, coolant, washer fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid should all be checked.
Check Brakes. Brakes should be in working order, and if they are not up to up, you are highly likely to be involved in an accident. Brake failure can cause serious and deadly accidents. Rather than having to deal with roadside assistance in the unfortunate event of a car accident, or worse, it is much cheaper, and wiser, to upgrade your brake pads from time to time.
Inspect Tires. One of the most common, and frustrating causes of breakdowns during summer road trips includes flat tires. Changing your tire can be incredibly time consuming and the blowouts can be extremely dangerous. Take the time to inspect your tires to make sure that they are not showing any signs of damage prior to leaving on your road trip.
Test Blinkers, Brake Lights & Wipers. Making sure the wipers are efficient to keep the windshield clean and obstructed free. Having your blinkers and brake lights in working order is a safety precaution that can prevent accidents, so be sure they are also in working order.
Towing, Roadside Assistance & More in Cassia, Gooding, Jerome & Twin Falls Counties in Magic Valley, Idaho & Jackpot, Northern Nevada
If you do find yourself broken down or in an accident, you will need the professionals of a towing expert for assistance. It is a good idea to track your route and get the names and numbers of reputable towing professionals if you need them. For towing and roadside assistance services in Twin Falls, ID and surrounding areas, call Highway 30 Garage and let us assist you.