Auto Parts - Make Your Car Ready for Perfect On-Road Summer Trips
Summer road trips are a quintessential Canadian experience. While they’re a fun way to explore the country’s great outdoors, the heat, extended driving hours, and distance can put extra strain on your vehicle.
Luckily, with some extra planning and a thorough vehicle check-up, you can prepare your car for any road trip and keep the good times rolling.
Pre-Trip Fluid Check
Before embarking on any extended driving, check the level and condition of four vital fluids: engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield washer fluid.
Engine oil lubricates the moving metal parts inside your engine so they don’t grind against each other. Low or old oil can create more friction, which causes more heat. This becomes a much larger problem in the summer, when your engine is already working hard in hot weather.
Coolant keeps your engine from overheating. Before hitting the road, check out your coolant reservoir in the engine bay and make sure fluid levels are sitting between the MIN and MAX lines. Only do this on a cold engine, never right after driving, since a hot cooling system is pressurized and can cause burns.
Brake fluid transfers pressure from pressing the pedal to the actual brakes. Because the brake system is sealed, fluid doesn’t drop on its own, so low fluid levels usually point to a problem with your braking system. If your brake fluid is low, have your brakes inspected before you go, rather than simply topping up, since less stopping power is a serious safety hazard at highway speeds.
Finally, summer travel means dust and bugs. Make sure your windshield washer fluid is topped up before you leave for a clear view of the road throughout the entire trip.
For a full pre-trip rundown, CAA’s road trip prep checklist is a helpful resource.
Battery and Electrical
Most people assume car batteries fail in the winter, but heat actually affects a car's battery more.
A simple way to check your battery’s voltage health is with a small handheld multimeter. A healthy battery should read 12.6 V or higher with the engine off, ideally after the car has been sitting for a few hours. If you don’t own a multimeter, or don’t feel comfortable checking your battery voltage, a NAPA AUTOPRO service centre can test it in a few minutes.
Knowing the health of your battery matters the most before a road trip. There’s no easy way to walk home if your battery dies somewhere unfamiliar or remote.
Tires: Your Road Trip Foundation
Any check before a road trip should include a close look at your tread depth, air pressure, as well as rotation and alignment.
Tread depth is how deep the grooves in your tires are. Deeper grooves improve tire grip and channel water away. Worn tread poses a greater risk on long road trips because of increased exposure to varied roads and weather over more kilometres.
Since tire pressure changes with temperature, your tires can lose or gain pressure as the outside temperature swings. Underinflated tires build heat on a long drive, which raises the risk of a blowout. Overinflated tires wear out faster in the centre and are more easily damaged by potholes and curbs. Either way, check with a small tire pressure gauge before you leave.
Tire rotation and wheel alignment are services worth staying on top of before a long trip. Both extend the life of your tires and make for a smoother, safer drive.
Wipers, Visibility, and A/C
Summer road trips can mean a mixed bag of conditions. Sudden rainstorms, hail, debris, and dust can reduce visibility. Wiper blades wear out and become brittle over time, and if you haven’t swapped out your wipers since the winter, they likely are leaving streaks and smears. Install summer wiper blades designed for heavy rain rather than snow and ice.
Canadian summers also mean plenty of heat and humidity. Before a long, hot drive, confirm your A/C is blowing cold air. Warm air can point to a few different issues, including a failing compressor, a clogged cabin air filter, an electrical fault, or low refrigerant.
If refrigerant is the culprit, that usually means a leak, since a sealed A/C system doesn’t lose refrigerant on its own. Any of these problems are a job for a certified technician, especially since refrigerant handling is regulated in Canada.
Prepare Your Car for an Unforgettable Road Trip
Don't let car troubles get in the way of your summer adventures. Make sure you have the fluids, wipers, and tools to get your car ready for a smooth, safe, and stress-free road trip. For help with packing and keeping the interior road trip ready, check out our Canadian Road Trip Checklist, 18 Canadian Road Trip Essentials, and tips on how to keep your car clean on a road trip.
For the best road trip advice, visit your local NAPA Auto Parts store to speak with an automotive expert or browse our full selection of vehicle summer maintenance essentials at www.NAPACanada.com.
Meta description: Get your car road trip ready this summer. Check fluids, battery, tires, and A/C before you hit the road for a stress-free Canadian road trip.
