Spare Parts | Car Parts | Motorcycle Parts

Whether you’re headed for the mountains or the beach, it’s crucial that your auto be in good working order. There’s nothing worse than having a vacation ruined by car trouble.

Step 1:
Make an appointment with your mechanic at least a few weeks before your road trip to do a pretrip inspection. Bring a checklist of things to ask your mechanic to review.

Step 2:
Check all fluids.

Step 3:
Check belts and hoses.

Step 4:
Look for any leaks.

Step 5:
Check and fill all tires, including the spare tire, and make sure they’re in good condition.

Step 6:
Perform a four-wheel brake check (if not done in the last six months).

Step 7:
Check the condition of the exhaust system.

Step 8:
Flush the cooling system (if not done in the last year).

Step 9:
Pressure-check the cooling system to inspect for leaks.

Step 10:
Load-test the battery to test its ability to hold a charge.

Step 11:
Check the alternator output to make sure that the charging system is working well.

Step 12:
Replace the spark plug wires if they are more than two years old.

Tips & Warnings

• These steps are in addition to routine maintenance.
• Don’t wait until the day before you plan to leave to make any big repairs or get a tune-up.
• Some garages sell a pretrip inspection service. Find out exactly what they check, or just give them this list, so you get your money’s worth. A pretrip inspection like the one suggested here should take no more than 1 to 1 1 /2 hours.
• More than half the cars that get towed into shops are there for repairs that could have been prevented by regular maintenance.