Make Sure Your Car Is Ready For The Family Road Trip

No one denies the heat this summer has been pretty darn brutal.

With gas prices substantially lower than last summer, many more people are considering taking a family road trip or vacation before the summer is over.

If you’re planning to hit the road soon, it may be a good time to make sure the family station wagon is prepared too.

AAA spokesperson Beth Mosher recommends making sure your vehicle’s fluid levels are correct including oil, transmission fluid, windshield wiper fluid and engine coolant, as well as checking tire pressure, and your battery. And unless you want to sit in a hot car for hours on end, it’s also smart to have the fluid levels on the air conditioning checked before you set off on your journey.

“We think people should go see a mechanic and get their checked out particularly if a family is going on a road trip,” says Mosher. “A check engine light on is a clear sign to get to a mechanic.”

Mosher was also able to shed light on a common misconception of vehicle breakdowns during this extended heat wave we’ve been experiencing. While AAA’s roadside assistance helps many drives with overheated vehicles during the summer, the group has not seen a jump in this type of vehicle breakdown despite the extremely hot weather.

“Nothing more than usual summer periods,” said Mosher when asked if more cars were overheating this summer.

However, surprisingly AAA has had to provide more battery jump starts than usual this summer.

While many drivers experience problems starting their car when the weather is really cold during the winter, Mosher says the mild winter didn’t kill as many car batteries like a normal winter does.

“We’ve seen an uptick in battery problems,” explains Mosher. “The mild winter didn’t not stress batteries as much as usual and the batteries are not keeping up.”

Another tip Mosher has is for motorists rolling down their windows to save money on air conditioning by improving gas mileage. She says keeping the windows rolled down really doesn’t work and you’re still uncomfortably hot.

“The difference you are savings is not so significant as you may think it is,” says Mosher.