With Christmas approaching, many American families are gearing up for their annual holiday trips to visit loved ones. Before hitting the road, it's important to be well-prepared. Here are some essential tips to ensure a smooth journey. Additionally, when it comes to your Duluth car repair needs, consider Wayne's Auto & Truck Repair for reliable service you can trust.

Why You Should Prepare Your Car For Your Christmas Trip

When planning a Christmas trip, most people spend much of their time planning itineraries and bookings. They tend to forget to prepare their vehicles for the anticipated Christmas trip. You might get away with this driving in a mild North Georgia winter. Going up north is a different story.

If you’re driving further north for the winter holidays, the weather is much more difficult to predict. You might face treacherous travel conditions on the road, such as freezing temperatures or heavy snow. In 2020, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) recorded 374 fatal crashes and 25,000 injury crashes while driving under wintery conditions.

To make sure your car is up for the challenge, you need to make some early preparations before you hit the road. The very first thing you need to do is check your engine. You might need an oil change or an air filter replacement. After that, check your other car components, as listed below:

Tires

Tires serve as the vehicle's stabilizer and direct contact on the road. They are important to both the car and the passengers' driving experience. So make sure to check them. The last thing you need in cold weather is to drive on bald tires.

Balance or rotate your tires to check if the tread wear is aligned. A car with poor alignment has a higher risk of flipping over when speeding through freeways.

Also, make sure all of your tires are well-inflated. Check the tire pressure against your manufacturer’s recommendations, and add air as necessary. Finally, consider installing winter tires. They create a better grip that prevents the car from sliding over slippery surfaces, and their different tread design helps push snow outward to avoid snow buildup. These help keep you and your family safe on the icy road.

Car Battery

The winter makes it difficult for the car battery to operate. A weak battery can quickly die in the cold. So, before anything else, check your battery’s age, and if it falls over the range of 3 to 5 years (standard lifetime), consider replacing it.

Moreover, make sure that every connection to the battery is secure. Also, look for signs of corrosion or damage. It is also advisable to take your vehicle to have your battery volt tested by a Duluth mechanic.

Windshield Wipers

An icy or snowy day is the windshield wiper’s mortal enemy. So, make sure that they are in good working condition. If they’re more than six months old, replace them with new ones. You don't want to drive into snowy weather without being able to see through the windshield, so check your wipers before the journey. Fill them with fluid to enhance their de-icing capabilities.

Other Things To Check

• Lights: brake lights, fog lights, signal lights, and high and low beams. Check if any bulbs aren’t working.
• Brakes and brake pads: check if you can break smoothly and come to a stop without pulsation. If the brake pads are too thin, replace them immediately.
• Fluids: oil, transmission, brake fluid. These fluids under the hood keep your car from seizing and freezing.
  

Final Tip

As a car owner, your responsibility is to keep your vehicle in good condition. Follow the tips outlined here before you head out. That said, checking your car's components alone might be too much of a hassle, especially if you don't have advanced automotive knowledge.  If you want to make sure your car is in top condition before leaving for your Christmas trip but don’t have the time or knowledge to do it by yourself, consider getting your vehicle serviced by a mechanic in Suwanee, GA , like Wayne's Auto.

Let us help you prepare for your Christmas getaway, so you can avoid any unexpected road issues and keep the people you love dearly safe in the car with you.  Contact Wayne's Auto & Truck Repair today!