Is Your Car Ready for Summer? 7 Things to Check Before a Road Trip
Before you load up the boot and hit the freeway, here's what's worth checking so summer heat and long distances don't catch you out.
Summer often means more driving, like Christmas travel, weekends away, family road trips and long stretches on the freeway.
It's also when hot weather can put extra pressure on your car.
Before loading up the boot and heading away, there are a few things worth checking.
1. Check Your Cooling System
Your engine generates a significant amount of heat even in normal conditions. The cooling system is responsible for maintaining the operating temperature within acceptable limits.
Hot weather, long trips, and heavy traffic can make an existing cooling system problem much more noticeable.
Watch for:
The temperature gauge running higher than normal
Coolant levels dropping
Coolant underneath the car
Steam
Unusual smells
Temperature warning lights
If your vehicle starts overheating, don't keep driving in the hope that getting some airflow will cool it down.
Pull over somewhere safe, switch the engine off and seek advice.
2. Make Sure Your Air Conditioning Is Working Properly
There's a big difference between discovering your air conditioning isn't performing well during your normal commute and discovering it two hours into a summer road trip.
If the air isn't getting as cold as it used to, airflow seems weak or the system is behaving differently, get it checked before you head away.
Air conditioning isn't just about comfort either. It also helps keep windows clear when conditions cause them to fog up.
3. Check Your Tyres, Including the Spare
Before a long trip, check:
Tyre pressure
Tread
Uneven wear
Cuts or visible damage
And don't forget the spare tyre if your vehicle has one.
A spare that's been sitting untouched in the boot for years isn't particularly helpful if it's flat when you finally need it.
If your car doesn't have a conventional spare, make sure you understand what puncture-repair equipment the vehicle has and how to use it.
4. Check Your Oil and Other Fluid Levels
Before a long drive, it's worth making sure your vehicle isn't running low on essential fluids.
If you're comfortable checking them yourself, follow the instructions in your owner's manual.
More importantly, if you notice that a fluid level keeps dropping after you've topped it up, don't just keep adding more.
Find out why.
A leak or unexplained fluid loss is worth investigating before you head hundreds of kilometres from home.
5. Make Sure Your Battery Isn't Already Struggling
We often associate battery problems with cold weather, but you don't want to discover a weak battery while you're away either.
Pay attention if:
The engine is becoming slower to start
You've recently needed a jump-start
Starting is intermittent
Electrical systems are behaving differently
If you're already questioning whether the battery will last the trip, have it tested before you leave.
6. Check Your Brakes, Lights and Wipers
These aren't specifically summer items, they're road-trip items.
Long-distance driving means your car needs to be ready for a range of conditions.
You may encounter heavy rain, unfamiliar roads, night driving and sudden traffic changes.
If your brakes are making noises or feel different, don't leave them until after the holiday.
Check your lights and wipers too.
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Car headlights and wipers being checked]
7. Don't Leave Servicing Until the Day Before You Go
This is one we'd emphasise from a workshop perspective.
If your car is due for a service and you're planning a major road trip, don't book the service for the afternoon before you leave.
Give yourself some breathing room.
If the service identifies worn tyres, brakes needing attention, a leak, or another problem, you'll have time to deal with it properly rather than trying to organise repairs while you're supposed to be packing.
Ideally, book the vehicle a couple of weeks before your trip, especially during busy Christmas and holiday periods.
Before You Leave
A few other simple preparations can make a breakdown or unexpected delay much easier to deal with.
Make sure you've got:
Roadside assistance details
Phone charger
Water
First-aid kit
Any medication you'll need
Details for your insurer if required
A basic understanding of where your spare tyre or puncture kit is located
If you're travelling through regional or remote areas, plan accordingly and don't assume you'll always have mobile reception. A paper road map might also be handy.
A Road Trip Shouldn't Start With Wondering Whether Your Car Will Make It
Most preparation isn't complicated.
It's simply about dealing with the things you've already noticed before asking your car to do hundreds or thousands of kilometres during the hottest part of the year.
If something has been making a noise, leaking, displaying a warning light or behaving differently, get it checked before you go.
The Short Version
If you only remember a few things from this list, make it these:
Don't ignore a cooling system that's already showing signs of struggling
Test the air con before you're two hours into the trip, not during it
Check tyres and the spare, a flat spare is no spare at all
Investigate any fluid that keeps dropping rather than just topping it up
Get a shaky battery tested before you leave, not after you're stranded
Brakes, lights and wipers matter just as much as anything else on this list
Book your service with time to spare, not the afternoon before you go
Planning a summer road trip?
At Macro Auto Services in Mitcham, we can service your vehicle and check any concerns before you head away.
If you're due for a service, book ahead rather than leaving it until Christmas week.
