Many people often have concerns about taking long trips with their cars. Don’t be intimidated by long trips, they are actually easier on your car than your typical day to day driving. But breakdowns still do happen. Here are a few fast checks to look for when preparing your Ford vehicle for holiday travels.
Check all of your tires, making sure they are inflated to their proper PSI. Low tire pressures can cause added heat buildup that could lead to a major blowout on the highway. Check your tires tread every day for wear and tear. By using a penny, place Lincoln’s head pointing down into the grooves. If you see the space above Lincolns head your tires are due to be changed.
Make sure to have that spare on hand. Check the spare and make sure its fully inflated, has proper tread and that you have a wrench, jack and other tire changing tools in your trunk.
Make sure your owner’s manual and registrations are in your glove box before leaving on your holiday journey. If it’s missing, get a replace before you go.
If your car is due for an oil change, get it before you leave town. Also, clean your car out. The more belongings you’re hauling with you the more fuel you are ultimately burning.
Pack that emergency car kit. It should contain road flares, jumper cables, a first aid kit, flashlights and an emergency blanket. Spare water is also good to have on hand.
On the day of travel, make sure to load your vehicle carefully and evenly. If you have a lot of heavy objects, load those forward into the trunk while distributing the weight evenly on each side. Cars do have limited carrying capacity so it’s especially important never to overload. By loading properly, you will be preventing uneven wear of your tires. Do a final inspection of your cars lights which include the brake lights, turning signals and head lights.
Now it’s time to relax and enjoy your trip. A lot of things could happen but by following these basic guidelines, you’ll hopefully avoid a lot of potential issues. Have fun and enjoy the holidays. Have safe and happy travels from Johnson Brothers to you.
