Preparing for Summer Road Trips

With the kids home from school for the summer, many families decide to pack up the family vehicle and hit the open road to visit family or see America. Being confined to an enclosed space can be stressful enough, so basic preparations before the trip can help keep unexpected disasters to a minimum.

First up is checking the condition of all the tires. With gas prices of nearly $4 per gallon, an easy way to save at the pump is to make sure the tires are properly inflated. Check the sticker on the driver’s door jamb for the recommended pressures, and make sure all four tires are up to spec. Before a road trip, it’s equally important to check the pressure in the spare. While you’re at it, do a visual inspection of the tires and replace tires showing excessive or uneven wear.

Compact spares are typically inflated to between 80 and 90 psi, compared to about 30 to 35 psi for conventional tires. While checking the spare, don’t forget to take out the jack and make sure it’s working and all the parts are there. If your wheels have locking lug nuts, you wouldn’t want to get stranded with a flat tire that can’t be removed so make sure the key is in the car, as well. A first aid kit in the vehicle is always a good idea, too.

Cranky kids confined to a steamy car on a hot summer day are not conducive to a fun family outing, so if you haven’t already checked out the air conditioning, make sure it’s properly chilling the cabin air. If necessary get it recharged with refrigerant or get other repairs done.

Of course, the passengers aren’t alone in needing cooling in the summer. Make sure the engine coolant reservoir is filled to the proper level and the coolant is in good condition. It should be either a bright green color or bright orange if it uses Dex-Cool coolant. If there are any signs of brown discoloration, have the system inspected by your dealer’s service department, as it could be an indication of a leaking head gasket that’s allowing oil to mix with the coolant.

Don’t forget to check under the vehicle after it has been parked to make sure there are no leaks. If there are signs of any fluids other than water (which may just be condensation from the air conditioning compressor) get it checked and repaired as soon as possible.

If you are planning a long trip and your car is close to the mileage where it needs an oil change, take it in early to get fresh oil.

No matter how much you prepare for a trip, the unexpected can sometimes happen. Thankfully, roadside assistance services are always ready to come to your aid. Many automakers now offer complimentary roadside assistance that includes towing, tire changes, emergency fuel delivery and other services during the warranty period on new and sometimes pre-owned vehicles. Cell phone providers also frequently offer similar assistance services for just a few dollars per month added to your bill. For those that prefer the traditional approach, automobile clubs like AAA are also a great option. No matter what service you opt for, make sure you know your account number and program the phone number into your cell phone.

Speaking of cell phones, remember to bring a 12-volt charging adapter so you can keep the battery charged while driving. If you are planning to use a smartphone as a navigation device, check out your local cell phone store for a windshield mount for the phone so you don’t have to hold it in your hand.

Thanks to modern consumer electronics, kids can also stay entertained on the road––listening to whatever music they like, or using laptops or tablets to play games or watch movies––without annoying parents. The batteries in those devices have a habit of running down at inopportune times, however, so having suitable charging capabilities is important.

For devices that can charge from USB ports, if the car doesn’t have extra ports, get a couple of extra 12-volt to USB chargers and, if needed, a multi-outlet adapter. If using a laptop on the road, investing in a 400-watt power inverter will provide one or two AC outlets just like at home, so everyone can stay occupied.

Stop by the dealership today and let us make sure your car is in the right shape before you take it out on a long road trip. Some basic preparation will help minimize the chances of avoidable disasters on the road and allow everyone to come home with memories of a great trip.

This article is presented by Antelope Valley Ford Lincoln Mazda in Lancaster, California.

Car Care: Wheel Alignment

One of the most important and yet neglected factors influencing the handling, and the fuel efficiency, of any car or truck is the wheel alignment. Your vehicle’s ability to go, stop and change direction is affected by the direction each of the wheels is pointing, and, whether you drive a compact car or full-size SUV or pickup, the directional control you get where the rubber meets the road is important for safety.

At any given moment only a small patch of rubber, often smaller than the palm of your hand, is supporting the weight of the vehicle and transmitting all of the forces from the engine, brakes and steering to the pavement. Proper wheel alignment helps ensure all of those forces are going where they belong and the tires aren’t being overworked.

While it may look to the naked eye like all of the tires are pointed straight ahead, they are all at slight but important angles. There are three different angles that affect wheel alignment: camber, caster and toe.

“Camber” is the degree to which a wheel departs from vertical (or perpendicular with the road), as viewed from the front. The top of each wheel is usually angled slightly inward. On an average car or truck, the angle is usually less than a few degrees, and you need special measuring equipment to determine the angle. The camber angle compensates for the way tire rubber stretches and deforms when cornering, and helps to make sure that the tire’s contact patch remains in full contact with the road, including while going around corners. 

“Toe” is the degree to which a wheel departs from being parallel to the other wheel on the same axle. If the front wheels (and the rears, if the vehicle has independent rear suspension) are angled slightly towards each other (as viewed from above) it’s called “toe-in.” “Toe-out” is when the wheels are pointing slightly away from each other. This is to counter the forces that push the wheels back into a more straight-ahead angle while driving.

Finally, “caster” is the frontward or rearward angle that the steering pivot point has from vertical, as considered from the side. The forces from the caster angle are what give the steering wheel a self-centering capability when you go down the road or relax your grip after going around a corner.

Each of these can be adjusted with links that are part of the suspension system. However, small variations in the angles can have a big effect on how the car drives and on tire wear. Sometimes hitting a big pothole or sliding into a curb can be enough to affect the toe or camber angle by a single degree or less, causing the vehicle to continuously pull in one direction or the other.

In addition to causing the vehicle to pull in one direction or the other, alignment problems also cause abnormally high, often uneven, tire wear. This can lead to a blow-out that could cause an accident, excess vibration that can be felt throughout the vehicle and reduced tire life.

Since checking and adjusting wheel alignment requires precision equipment, it should only be done by your dealer’s service department. You should never attempt to adjust the alignment by hand at home. While most service facilities offer both front-wheel-only alignment and four-wheel alignment, it is usually best to go for four-wheel alignment.

On rear-wheel drive cars and trucks with a solid rear axle, there usually aren’t any adjustments available for the rear wheels. However, even in this case, four-wheel alignment is important because the front wheels will be adjusted relative to the rear wheels so that everything is pointed in the right direction. Doing a front-only alignment can still leave the car pulling in one direction or the other.

One way to determine if your vehicle needs an alignment is to drive it down a straight, flat road with little or no crown (the fall-off toward the outer edge). The car should track straight ahead without you having to tug on the steering wheel. If the vehicle diverges from straight ahead without steering input, get it serviced soon.

You should also do a regular visual inspection of all four tires for uneven wear. The tread depth should be relatively consistent. You can quickly check the depth using a penny stuck into the grooves. If the top part of Lincoln’s head is covered by the rubber in each groove, you have enough tread left. However, if the depth is significantly different on the inner or outer edge of the tire, you could have an alignment problem that needs to be corrected.

Most alignment work can be done quickly and often doesn’t require any parts replacement unless the vehicle has hit something severe and bent a suspension link. A proper alignment and a regular tire rotation with each oil change will help your tires last longer and make your vehicle safer and more enjoyable to drive.

This article is presented by Antelope Valley Ford Lincoln Mazda in Lancaster, California.