Checklist These Things Before Hopping For A Car Trip!

Phyllis Baker
4 min readNov 13, 2018

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Road trips make the best and most memorable trips, even its for a short amount of time. While you ensure everyone is ready for a trip, have you ever asked your vehicle if it is READY for a trip!

Folk! I’m not asking you to have a word with your car; it simply means ensuring car’s health and other things for a safe journey. After all, as simple as just hopping in the car and drive, a safe road trips need more than that. So, before you press to start the button of your car, make sure that your car is road-ready!

Here is a checklist that you cannot or should not avoid before having a road trip:

Tyres

Regularly inspect tyres, as they are one of the most ignored parts of the car. Flat or broken tyre can give rise to multiple problems and can even lead to a major road accident. So, do check them before leaving!

Also check air pressure and other minor damages to keep them running. Have an emergency tyre ready, so that if anything happens in-between the journey, you would have a backup.

Do tight all the nuts, bolts and screws of the tyre. As loose nuts make the car feel imbalance and can also evoke accidents.

Car Papers

After car tyres, the next important thing you should not forget is vehicle paper’s. Car Insurance and other important papers can protect you and your family from lawsuits or other road damages. For instance, if accident occurs, with very cheap car insurance you can be ensure that you would get the right coverage. Further the fallout from the accidents can be time-consuming, but with extraordinarily low priced car insurance you can avoid negotiation and manage the repairing costs.

Coolant

Coolant is used to protect the engine from breakdowns that might occur due to excessive heat in the engine. So, its very important to check them too, especially in blistering hot days. It will keep the temperature in the engine stable and will prevent your car from any unannounced breakdowns. Check the level of coolant timely to ensure smooth working of the engine.

Note: Don’t check coolant while your engine is hot, as the fluid of the coolant can burn your skin.

Lubrication

Oil keeps the moving parts of the car clean and smooth. Check oil level on a regular basis as the reduced level can create friction in the engine of car thereby generating a lot of heat in the engine. This can also lead to major damages if ignored!

To check the level of oil make sure the car is off and take the oil stick out and see how far up the level of oil also check the color of the oil. If oil is of dark brownish color, it means it has a lot of dirt, and you need to change it immediately.

Windshield Wipers

In winters and rainy season, you need good wipers for your car because visibility decreases due to rain storms. If rubber of your wipers has cracks and tears, then it replaces them or changes the wipers if they are not good anymore. As a worn wiper will hinder the visibility and will make difficult for the driver to drive in such stormy condition. So do them as well!

Electrical System

A used car battery can leave you stranded and even a faulty or damaged electrical system can make your car stall or operate badly. So, do check your battery’s terminals and also look for the cracks in the wiring of the system.

Hoses And Belts

We all know that rubber gets brittle after some time and become worst in the cold weather conditions. Things like frayed belts, cracks, soft and minor spots in the hoses and other wears can affect the hoses. This can also lead to extensive engine damage and can give rise to many other problems.

Air Filters

Dirty air filters can result in poor engine performance and poor gas mileage. Also, they are simple to fix and give power to the engine whenever you need them.

Car Lights

Car lights, be it taillights, headlights and turn lights, make sure everything is in proper working condition. Dim light or low light make the car more prone to accidents.

So, those were some of things you shouldn’t forget when taking your car on a trip. keep them in mind and ensure your safety on the road!

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Phyllis Baker
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Professional blogger, Graduate from University of Oxford.