How to avoid car breakdowns during your vacation

Rest and relaxation trips are best when they are made with the people you love. Your choice of a company can be your friends, family or even colleagues. Just the mere idea of preparing and packing for the trip is already exciting, and in some cases, it can actually be overwhelming.

We all know the hassle of thinking over and over about the necessary things you need to take with you. Some are smart enough to exert efforts that they even result in making a list of the things they intend to bring.

Sure, packing your snacks, gadgets, charger, #ootd outfits and toiletries are definitely essential and no one can argue with that. You also shouldn't forget about packing some basic medical supplies especially if you're going away for quite some time or you have kids with you. Now after all that, you might think that you should be a-okay on your trip and that you're good to go - but are you really?

If you're used to driving four-wheeled vehicles, then you must already be familiar with the basics of auto repair. We would hate to bring this up especially since you're planning for your well-deserved trip but this is a fairly important factor that weighs as much as the rest of your trip.

We, in Philkotse.com have prepared some of the best tips and advice to help prevent your trip from being ruined by scenarios; like having your car breakdown while on the way to your vacation venue - now that would be a total bummer, right?

1. Tires

This may seem basic and yes it really is a basic and easy task. It simply requires you to check the tires the night before the planned vacation trip. Make sure that the tires have just the right amount of air. Leaving for the trip with tires that are low on air pushes your vehicle to consume more gas than it normally needs. Unless you have allowed an ample amount of money for gas then it's best to run a tire-check the night before.

Make sure that the tires have just the right amount of air

The rule of thumb in tire maintenance is rotating your car's tires every now and then. The importance of doing this simply cannot be stressed enough. This guarantees that each of the tires wears out evenly which is important in keeping the whole vehicle running sound.

2. Leaks

Inspecting leaks is more than looking for obvious tears under your vehicle that causes a "drip-drip-drip" sound. You may have already observed some thinning wires that deliver important fluids in your vehicle even before planning the vacation. Take another close look at this since these can potentially develop a leak caused by too much heat especially if the drive is a long one.

Inspect any leaks in your car before driving your way to your vacation

A simple case of oil leaking from the engine can cause major problems in the run. This can empty the respective container and cause the engine to cease. Eventually, it can result in a thousand-peso repair, something that can instantly turn an exciting vacation to a frustrating waste of time.

To prevent this from happening, inspect potential parts where a leak may occur just the night before you leave, the morning before departure. It's also advisable to check it at every stop, especially for longer trips.

3. Windshield Wipers

Honestly how many of us would notice that the window wipers need some TLC as much as the engine? Or maybe it has crossed your mind but you can barely spare some time to get the matter remediated. Well if you're headed for a vacation trip and you don't really care about checking future weather updates, then you'd really need to replace your windshield wipers (if not clean).

Checking your wind shield wiper is as important as checking your engine

Having dirty wipers can worsen the situation when you're driving under rainy conditions. This might render the driver blind to all potential hazards on the road. Either you're on your way to your vacation place or already headed back home, check that the wipers are squeaky clean.

4. Brakes

This is probably the most important element in a vehicle regardless of what scenario you plan to drive it in. The importance of the brake cannot be stressed enough. This is, therefore, one of the first things every vehicle owner should check on before anything else.

If your vehicle already has prior problems that you ignore persistently; like some kind of noise coming from the brakes either its applied or not. Then it's best to make a thorough inspection rather than getting your vacation plans postponed.

The break is one of the most important elements in a vehicle that should be checked on a regular basis not only before going on vacation

However, not every driver and car owner is savvy with these types of automotive concerns. That shouldn't be too much of a problem since service experts are available to help you out. Just make sure to schedule a check-up in the most convenient time right before your departure. When it involves sensitive matters such as the brakes, it's best not to put matters into one's own inexperienced and untrained hands.

There are device experts that can help you if you're not automotive savvy

We mentioned something about a checklist earlier and that people who often do this type of technique tend to bring everything that they need with them. It helps them keep track of the necessary things they need to bring so they don't have to worry about anything upon departure.

Doesn't this type of approach seem helpful? By making a list of the particular things that you need to check on your car before leaving, you are actually saving yourself from wasting more time and potentially stressing or harming yourself later.

It's easy to make a task list and you can pretty much make a reminder in your very phone. Making sure that you check the vehicle parts listed above is your responsibility to yourself and the people who will be joining you on your trip. We are aware that some of the steps are fairly easy to do while one or two may require someone more knowledgeable to conduct the inspection.

While it is great and advisable to consult the help of professional and licensed professionals, you may be saving for your trip and not have enough budget for this. One last tip we could give is tagging someone along who's knowledgeable in automotive and can help you out just in case.

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