5 Things to Check on Your Car Before a Road Trip

Pre-Road Trip Car Maintenance Checklist

Summer Travel: Pre-Road Trip Vehicle Safety Checklist

As millions of Americans hit the road for summer travel, checklist helps motorists avoid car trouble

 As we approach the middle of summer, millions of Americans still plan to hit the road to spend time with family and friends or to take a summer vacation. The American Automobile Association estimates that two-thirds (66 percent) of U.S. adults plan to take a leisure trip between Memorial Day and Labor Day this year. Brandon Miller, an instructor at Universal Technical Institute-Dallas/Fort Worth, offers a simple, 5-step pre-road trip checklist to help ensure your vehicle’s safety and reliability for a safe road trip this summer.

Step 1. Check all fluids including engine oil, power steering, transmission, brake and coolant to ensure levels aren’t low.

Step 2. Check all hoses and belts – a belt that fails can harm the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering or cooling system.

Step 3. Check tire inflation and inspect the tread for uneven wear; get an alignment if needed.

Step 4. Check all exterior and interior lights to make sure no bulbs are burned out.

Step 5. Check windshield wipers to make sure they’re working correctly.

With the checklist taking less than 10 minutes to complete, this pre-trip inspection is an easy and effective way to reduce the chance of costly and potentially dangerous road trouble during your road trip. If you find a problem that needs further inspection, take your car to a professional automotive technician.

To learn more about Universal Technical Institute-Dallas/Fort Worth, visit www.uti.edu/DFW.

Brandon Miller is an instructor at Universal Technical Institute’s Dallas campus and has been with the campus for two years. Before joining Universal Technical Institute, Brandon worked at a small independent shop for almost 8 years, and then worked as a Toyota Technician at two different dealerships for almost 11 years. Brandon is an ASE Master with L1 and was a “Master Diagnostic Technician” when he was with Toyota. In his spare time, Brandon likes fishing, hiking and working on his 66 El Camino.

 

 

 

Share

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *