{"id":25,"date":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.folsomautomall.com\/blog\/2024\/july\/19\/summer-road-trip-maintenance-checklist.htm?locale=en_US"},"modified":"2026-03-20T15:02:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:02:48","slug":"summer-road-trip-maintenance-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.folsomautomall.com\/blog\/summer-road-trip-maintenance-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer road trip maintenance checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Folsom Auto Mall - 45 Seconds on How to Prep Your Vehicle For Your Summer Road Trip\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RIHHwxG1gy0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"entry-content text-content-container\">\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">The sun is up, the sky is blue, and the open road lies straight ahead of you. As you and the three kids head down the highway you notice a car with steam coming out of the hood. You see a man walking with a gas can and one car jumping another. I guess they didn&#8217;t read Folsom Auto Mall&#8217;s summer road trip maintenance checklist. It&#8217;s a comprehensive guide to ensure that your summer road trip is free from those annoying dashboard warning lights. So pay attention, take notes, or hit file print and follow this summer road trip maintenance checklist.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Replace wiper blades <\/strong><br \/>Rubber wiper blades go bad over time. That\u2019s just life. So if you see streaks or water that isn\u2019t getting pushed away, replace the blades. You don&#8217;t want to be in the middle of a summer storm trying to clear the windshield with last decade&#8217;s wipers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Top off the windshield wiper fluid<\/strong><br \/>It\u2019s the light that so many of us fail to turn off until it\u2019s too late. Fill the windshield washer reservoir before your trip. It helps remove insects and other debris so you can see clearly. It&#8217;s like Visine for your car.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Test and tighten the battery<\/strong><br \/>Over time a battery can come loose and lose some juice. Take the time to tighten the connectors and get your battery tested. This should keep you fully charged so you can charge ahead with your trip.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Restock the emergency kit<\/strong><br \/>Flashlight. Batteries. First-aid kit. Drinking water. Non-perishable snacks. Jumper cables. Emergency flares. Basic tool kit. Duct tape. Extra cellphone battery. Always be prepared.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Charge the AC<\/strong><br \/>Take your car down to any of The Folsom Auto Mall\u2019s dealerships and have the A\/C tested and charged. We\u2019ll also check the cabin air filter. The first step towards a cool and comfortable trip is a cool and comfortable car.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Check belts and hoses<\/strong><br \/>Rubber drive belts power a lot of important things like the engine water pump and accessories such as the alternator and air conditioning compressor. You have to make sure you replace any that are cracked, or going bad. In many vehicles, you have to replace drive belts every 60,000 miles. Inspect and replace worn, brittle, or excessively soft hoses. Check for leaks around hose clamps and at the radiator and water pump.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Top off engine oil and other fluids<\/strong><br \/>Check that the engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid and power steering fluid are all at the correct levels for safe operation. When you add fluids, it\u2019s important to use products that meet the specifications recommended by the owner\u2019s manual.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Check tires and tire pressure<\/strong><br \/>In addition to checking the air pressure in each tire, take a good look and inspect them for damage. Finding a nail or a screw in your tire now is way better than finding one \u201ddown the road.\u201d Put a penny upside down into the grooves to check the tire tread. If you see the top of Lincoln&#8217;s head, it might be time to buy some new tires. And always make sure you inflate the tires to the suggested PSI found in the owner&#8217;s manual.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Check the brakes<\/strong><br \/>Let&#8217;s not take chances here and just bring your vehicle in for a brake inspection. If you want to do a little pre-investigating on your own, listen for grinding sounds or vibrations when applying the brakes. If you hear any of that, come see us right away. We&#8217;ll check the brake system for fluid leaks; we&#8217;ll also check for wear or damage to the brake pads, brake rotors, brake shoes and brake drums.<\/p>\n<p>Remember our service team is here to help with any maintenance issue you need fixed before you embark on your big summer road trip. So go ahead, see the Grand Canyon, go visit your Great Aunt Betty or the nation\u2019s biggest ball of yarn. Just make sure you follow our summer road trip maintenance checklist, and you\u2019ll have a great time.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, if you&#8217;re thinking maybe this trip would deserve a new or used car, The Folsom Auto Mall has plenty of Buicks, GMCs, Dodges, Chryslers, Jeeps, Rams, Chevys, Toyotas, Hyundais, Kias, Nissans and Fords to choose from.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 The sun is up, the sky is blue, and the open road lies straight ahead of you. As you and the three kids head down the highway you notice a car with steam coming out of the hood. You see a man walking with a gas can and one car jumping another. I guess [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,13,8,4,7,2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tt-blogs.dealerfire.com\/folsomautomall\/summer-road-trip-maintenance-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Summer road trip maintenance checklist - Folsom Auto Mall\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0 The sun is up, the sky is blue, and the open road lies straight ahead of you. As you and the three kids head down the highway you notice a car with steam coming out of the hood. 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