How to prepare your car for a long trip in the summer

There are many benefits to owning a car in today's world. One of them is the ability to freely travel along your route, and even change it while driving. But, as in every barrel of honey, there is also its share of tar. This is the probability of breakdowns and malfunctions of the car during the trip. How to prepare your vehicle so that you can be completely sure of its reliability and functionality at any time?

Inspection and preparation for the summer trip of external systems

At first glance, the most important systems of the car are "hidden" under the hood. But a lot of external details help the driver to coordinate the movement of the car. Therefore, when preparing for a long or short trip, it is necessary to check the condition of the following elements:

• windshield, side and rear windows;
• external mirrors;
• headlights and running lights;
• paint condition;
• car numbers (availability, condition).

The cleanliness and integrity of the car windows provide good visibility. The same applies to the exterior mirrors and headlights. Having found minor defects, they should be corrected using photopolymers or special glue. Otherwise, they may crack completely.

Even minor damage to the paint should be polished. Summer is characterized by high ambient temperatures, so even a slight scratch on the body can expand and entail the need for a full painting.

Car interior revision

When preparing a vehicle for a trip, you should not only clean the interior from dust and dirt. There are many moments of the interior, the failure of which on the way will bring at least inconvenience. They include the following elements:

• rearview mirror;
• seat belts and airbags;
• dashboard and its systems;
• armchairs;
• door handles;
• air conditioning.

If children will take part in the planned trip, it is worth taking care of places for them. Also, all items during movement must be securely fastened so as not to create an emergency.

Particular attention should be paid to the electrical systems of the machine. So, first of all, you need to check the ignition system and the power unit. In addition, inspect the serviceability of the interior lighting systems and the electrical supply to the headlights / running lights.

The air conditioner filters may need to be replaced.

Running car check

The undercarriage of the car is what will be the main load on the trip. Therefore, the revision of its readiness should be approached very carefully. As you know, the chassis includes a frame (if the body is not load-bearing), axles (front and rear), suspension and wheels.

Experienced motorists who practice frequent summer trips advise checking the car at a service station 5-7 days before departure. Especially if the planned trip is to places far from civilization.

Pay attention to the following points:

• condition of suspension units (including shock absorbers);
• wheel alignment;
• condition of tires and rims;
• tire inflation level;
• the technical condition of the brake system (pads, discs).

Damage to one of the above elements can cost not only a significant amount of money, but also loss of vacation time. Diagnostics is cheaper anyway.

Also, the service station will test the operation of the engine. In particular, it is necessary to check the valve clearances, the integrity and tension of the belts, and the spark plugs.

Checking the level of liquids in the car

Adequate operation of the machine is provided not only by its solid parts, but also filled into certain systems. So, when planning a trip, it is worth checking the level and, if necessary, adding or replacing the following fluids:

• glass washers;
• engine oils (motor) and transmission;
• brake fluid;
• power steering fluid;
• antifreeze.

Particularly dangerous for traffic is a leak or simply a decrease in the level of brake fluid and oils in the box and / or motor.

List of required automotive tools

Even after a full check and preparation of the car for the trip, there is a possibility of a breakdown along the way. Therefore, each driver has a set of specific tools in case of emergency. In addition to a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher, which are required by law, the most common elements of a “camping tool bag” are:

• jack;
• emergency stop markers (sign, vest);
• repair kit;
• a special tool for repairing tires and a compressor for pumping them;
• towing cable and winch;
• wires for charging the battery;
• Scotch.

But, when loading the car, one should remember the important figure recorded in the technical characteristics of the car - the carrying capacity. Preparing for a long trip means that the car must drive for a long time and reliably, and an overloaded one will not cope with this task.

In addition, you need to check the availability and relevance of documents: car insurance, rights, registration certificate. It is better to do this in advance, at least a week in advance, so that, in case of expiration, you have time to renew them.