What Should You Prepare for Your Car Before a Long-Distance Road Trip?

Currently, many people often choose long-distance trips by car for more flexibility and experiences. To ensure safety, maintaining and checking the engine oil is one of the essential tasks to keep the vehicle running smoothly and minimize the risk of incidents. Huynh Chau will share some important points to consider when traveling long-distance by car.

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• 1. Car issues to check before the trip
• Before embarking on a long road trip, you should carefully maintain and check the engine oil to avoid malfunctions during travel. So, what does maintaining a car involve? Below are some issues you need to check before your trip to ensure safety:

Check the lubricant oil and coolant

Engine oil's role is to ensure the vehicle operates steadily and smoothly while preventing engine wear and significantly saving fuel. The engine can quickly fail if it runs out of lubricating oil.

You can check the oil using a dipstick. If you detect a burnt smell or if it is nearly empty, you need to change to fresh oil for safety.

• Coolant is responsible for cooling the car's engine system. Over time, this fluid can become contaminated or degrade, affecting the engine's performance. Therefore, you also need to check and replace the coolant before starting your trip.

Check the transmission fluid

Transmission fluid, or gear oil, lubricates the gears, bearings, and metal components within the transmission. Additionally, it helps to prevent rust, oxidation, and corrosion while also cooling the transmission.

With the passage of time, transmission fluid can develop issues such as unpleasant odors, becoming dry, or rough shifting, along with the engine check light turning on. This can jeopardize the safety of those in the vehicle. Hence, while checking the engine oil, you must also check the transmission fluid.

• Carefully inspect the battery

The battery provides electricity to other components for the car to operate. You cannot predict what might happen if the car stalls due to a battery failure.

Thus, when maintaining your car before a long trip, ensure to check the battery terminals carefully. If you notice any signs of leakage or corrosion, take the vehicle to a garage to measure the battery charge level to see if it needs replacement.

Check the suspension and steering systems

• The suspension system should be routinely checked when inspecting the engine oil to ensure safe driving. This component is located above