How to Perform Your Own Pre-trip Check

Summer brings with it nice weather, longer days, school vacation and road trips. Whether you plan to drive north or south, five hours or three days, read on for pre-trip car tips to ensure your road trip is filled with fun adventure and not miserable car problems.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. When checking the hoses, squeeze them while looking for any cracks in the rubber. They should be smooth and tight with no rotation or give. The belts should have the correct amount of tension. To verify this, push down on the belt. It should give about half an inch.

2. For your coolant system, make sure you are using antifreeze in the radiator. It contains antifreeze corrosion inhibitors and has a higher boiling point than water. Check your thermostat, too. If you haven’t replaced it in several years, you may want to get a new one installed when you get your cooling system flushed. A stuck thermostat is a sure way to overheat your engine.

3. To check your cooling fan, drive around for 15 to 20 minutes or idle your car with the hood open to listen for the cooling fan. If it doesn’t kick on, it is likely not working.

4. Check the heater core because coolant runs through it. If the heater core leaks, the coolant drains and you are at big risk of overheating or worse. A mechanic would put a pressure tester on the radiator to find if this is leaking.

5. Pay attention to the radiator. In places where they salt the roads for ice, the core of the radiator can rot away. If it leaks, it will overheat. When this is extreme it can cause a blown head gasket or a warped cylinder head.

6. Check your water pump. If it breaks, it usually leaks the coolant. You can try to predict when the pump is up for replacement by jiggling it to see how much play there is. If the bearings are loose, change it out.

7. Look at your tires. All five of your tires should have the correct tire pressure. Yes, the one in your trunk counts, too. Look on the side of the driver’s door, the glove box door or the owner’s manual to find the “correct” tire pressure. This is not the same as the “maximum tire pressure” listed on your tire. Check the tread, too. The minimum acceptable tread depth is 3/32 inch. You want more than this if you are just starting out on a road trip. You also want to make sure your tires are wearing evenly. If not, go in for a wheel alignment.

Tips & Warnings

• Now that your vehicle has passed inspection, here are a few items to fill it with in case of a summer roadside emergency: cell phone, engine coolant, flashlight, batteries, matches or lighter, nonperishable foods, bottled water, first aid kit, spare tire, jack, jumper cables, flares, extra quart of oil, empty gas can and map.