Prepare Your Car, Truck, or SUV For Summer Travel

How To Get Your Car Ready For A Road Trip?

We are rapidly approaching the time when a lot of people will be hitting the road for summer getaways and camping trips. If you’re one of the millions of Canadians taking to the highways for a vacation, you’ll want to know how to get your car ready for a road trip. Basically, the most important elements of any pre-trip inspection are taken care of with most service appointments at Reaume Chevrolet Buick GMC. Things like battery health, tire tread depth and fluid levels are all checked every time we bring your car, truck or SUV into the service bay. Follow along while we take a closer look at what you should do to make sure your automobile is ready to hit the road.

READ MORE: Schedule a Pre-Trip  Inspection

Start With The Basics: Battery, Tires, & Oil Change

Regardless of whether you’re driving across town, across the province, or across the continent, the most important vehicle maintenance starts with the battery, tires and a fresh oil change.

• A healthy car battery should allow the vehicle to start easily under common conditions. Also, interior lights shouldn’t be unintentionally dim. 
• Your tires should have at least 1.6 mm of tread depth; however, they should probably be replaced around the 3 mm mark. Also, be sure to check the tire pressure. Most passenger vehicles should have tires filled to around 35 psi.
• The average oil change interval is between 8,000 and 12,000 km. If it has been a while since your last oil change, make an appointment with us before your trip.

Also, be sure to check on other fluids like wiper fluid, transmission fluid and power steering fluid.

Examine the Wheel Alignment

You are likely to be putting on more kilometres than normal during the summer. Proper wheel alignment is crucial to safe handling, especially in emergency situations. Over time, wheels can get bumped out of alignment. This can cause problems keeping the car, truck, or SUV centred in the intended lane of travel. Additionally, an out-of-alignment set of wheels will increase wear on the tires.

Check Your Brakes

We expect our cars to come to a smooth stop every time we press the brake pedal. If you have noticed:

• Squealing
• Grinding
• Soft brake pedal

There is something wrong with your brakes, and you should be bringing your vehicle into our service department as soon as possible.

If you need help ensuring your vehicle is ready for your upcoming trip, make an appointment with our service department.