Cleveland Collision’s Road Trip Tune-up Checklist

4 things you want to check before hitting the road

Being hundreds of miles from home is not the moment you want to be stranded on the side of the road. To many people, summertime means it’s time to hit the road for a family vacation! The last thing anyone wants to think about is if their car will deliver them safely to their destination.

Having the best road trip starts with having a reliable vehicle. Here are a few areas that we recommend checking in your vehicle before heading out on a summer road trip!

1. Fluids

Oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and even windshield whipper fluid are all things that will affect how well a car will perform. Running on low or empty could cause real damage to your vehicle. Low fluids can be a sign of larger problem such as leaks. Keeping additional containers of fluid in your car is advisable as well.

2. Filters

Old or dirty filters can lead to unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicle. Some elements to be aware of are the air filter, cabin air filter, oil filters, and fuel filters. While a dirty cabin air filter might not necessarily cause a break down it can attribute to an unpleasant vehicle experience by allowing outside elements into the cabin of the vehicle such as; air pollution, pollen, or fumes.

3. Hoses and Belts

Timing belts and serpentine belts are just two of the belts that can wear down in a car. The timing belt can break and this will cause the engine not to run. The serpentine belt can affect things like power steering pump, alternator, or even the air conditioning in a car. Hoses can become lose, disconnected completely, or damaged. This will cause leaks or damage the engine.

4. Ignition

Spark plugs, distributor caps, and ignition wires need to be checked regularly. Spark plugs and ignition wires can weaken over time and that will lead to failure. A warning sign of problems in this area of a vehicle would be misfiring. A missing or even lose distributor cap will keep a car from starting.

It may be tempting to tune up a vehicle yourself, but this is not always the best thing for your vehicle. The smart move is to take it to a trusted local car shop where you know that quality parts and skillful mechanics will give you reliable service.

There is no substitute for having a professional with experience looking over your car before your summer road trip, and Cleveland Collision is happy to help get you there. Please give us a call at or click here to send us a message before you hit the road, and for more information on these parts, AutoZone has published a handy tune-up guide to help out.

Here’s to summer road trips!