Reduce the Odds of a Vehicle Breakdown by Doing These 6 Things Before Taking a Road Trip

There are few things better in life than hitting the open road for a summer road trip. However, your trip can quickly turn into a nightmare if your vehicle starts to have trouble midway through the journey! So, it’s important to take some time to prepare your vehicle before you hit the road to reduce the odds of a breakdown.

If you don’t want to end up stranded in a random part of the country waiting on a tow truck, reduce the odds of the vehicle breakdown by doing these 6 things before taking a road trip:

Check the Battery
A leading cause of breakdowns and one of the most avoidable, a dead battery will see your vehicle stop dead or struggle to start. Therefore, you want to get the battery tested to make sure it’s in good condition for the long drive ahead – you won’t regret it!

Get an Oil Change
Much like our car batteries it is easy to overlook our oil before we head out on a long drive. Doing so is a bad idea though, as old and contaminated oil can lead to some serious engine problems, eventually making it impossible to start.

Don’t just check the oil and add more to compensate for the drive – get a complete oil change (including the oil filter) to ensure the engine and components run smoothly. After all, you’re driving hundreds or possibly thousands of miles, so you want the car performing at optimal levels.

Check Other Fluids
Engine oil isn’t the only fluid your vehicle needs to function properly! Check all vehicle fluids to make sure their levels are suitable, including coolant, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and brake fluid.

Inspect Tires
Getting a flat or blown tire is another very avoidable issue that causes countless breakdowns nationwide. As you’ll be driving long distances across various surfaces it is important to check the overall condition of your tires.

Start by swapping from winter to regular tires (if necessary), checking the tread on each tire for wearing, while also looking for any signs of surface damage like a puncture. If the tread is significantly worn you should get new tires or they may fail during your trip.

Finally check the inflation of the tires – they might need more air added before you hit the road.

Check Brake Pads
Car brakes are vital for road safety, so be sure to check these for signs of wearing before your road trip.
Due to the importance of your brake pads, we recommend getting these checked by a mechanic to determine how safe they are. Replacements and repairs are usually cheap anyway, so it’s well worth getting checked.

Get the Car Serviced
Going on all the previous checks you want to make; it may be a good idea to get your vehicle serviced before your road trip. This is because a servicing covers most of these checks and will ensure a trained professional is doing the inspection and making any appropriate repairs or replacements.

We at Coburg Towing strongly promote and encourage safe driving. We also know that sometimes things go wrong and you may need roadside assistance in the future. When you need help with your vehicle while on the road, Coburg Towing offers fast & reliable towing and roadside assistance – everywhere in Melbourne.