Pre-Roadtrip Care Primer by CarMax

Maintenance is such a big part of keeping your emissions as low as possible, as well as reaching your car’s peak fuel efficiency. The techs at CarMax passed along this advice for keeping your auto in tip top condition during the summer months (or, basically, any time you go on vacation).

Most of them boiled down to making sure you’ve taken care of standard maintenance, and having a professional check the major components out on your car – Transmission, Air Conditioning, Suspension, Tires, and Cooling System. Also make sure you’re ready for an emergency. Do you have a sturdy spare tire … and the keys to unlock those fancy “security” bolts on your wheels? Do you have a first aid kit, a working flashlight and flares?

And make sure you tell your mechanic if you’ll be towing anything on your trip. Some manufacturers recommend using a different type of oil in those situations.

Maintenance may seem like a drain on your travel budget, but it’s money well-spent. The time you could save waiting for a tow (or the money spent to fix a belt broken on the road) will make a much bigger impact on your vacation.

Source: PRNewswire

Image: PDPhoto.org