Planning some summer road trips? If yes, it's crucial to ensure your car is in great condition before setting off to ensure your safety on the road, regardless of your destination. Here are a few ways to prepare your car for summer travel:
Declutter
First of all, if you are anything like myself, your car probably has many things that are not necessary in it. Cups from when you went on your last trip and never took them out, old pieces of clothing that got tossed in the back, or receipts, napkins, or old bottles of hand sanitizer that you left in your middle console.
Before you hit the road for your summer trips, make sure that you declutter and remove all of the trash, old items, and other things that probably shouldn’t be in your car. This will save room, it will actually save gas (the heavier your vehicle is, the more gas it will typically use), and it will feel a lot cleaner instantly.
Give it a Good Deep Clean
After you declutter your car and throw out all of your trash, you should give it a good deep clean. Remember when you accidentally spilled that smoothie or a cup of coffee down your seat? Well, it could have formed mold, and that’s not healthy for yourself or for anyone riding with you.
That’s just one reason why you should deep clean your car when you can. If you cannot do this yourself, you should take it to a shop that will clean it. Not only will this make your car smell great, but it will save you a lot of time and effort too! Win-win!
Check your Headlights
After your car is clean, you should make sure that your headlights are in proper working condition because if they are not, it could be a safety hazard. Ensure your car's headlights, fog lights, taillights, turn signals, and brake lights are all working. If any of the lights are burned out, you can likely replace them yourself. Bulbs only cost a few bucks. Or you can ask your mechanic to change it for you (more on this in just a bit!). If you look at the lights and are still working, but the glow is hazy, dull, cloudy, or yellow, it may need nothing more than a good car wash.
Clean headlights and taillights make a massive difference in visibility. That’s something to remember each time you gas up during the trip as well. Those same bugs that splattered on your windshield also are splatting on your headlights. Give them a once-over with the window-washing squeegee as well. Easy, peasy.
Check for Important Documents
Keep a copy of your car's warranty, insurance, and contact information for your emergency car care service in the glove box. Whether you have roadside assistance through your car's warranty or insurance or you belong to an auto care club such as AAA, make sure you have the emergency contact number with you at all times.
Take it to be Serviced
The easiest way to safeguard your road trip is to let a mechanic perform a complete safety inspection on your car a week or so before your trip. Having a mechanic look at your car the day before your trip is not a good idea. If there's a problem, it could take some time to fix. An extensive, last-minute auto repair could really throw a wrench into your vacation plans or force you to delay your trip. Or you may even have to rent a car at the last minute, and that can get expensive! So let a mechanic give your vehicle the once-over a week or two before your trip.
A mechanic will check everything from fluid levels, belts, and hoses to lights, tires, and brakes to make sure your car is ready for the road in a safety inspection. If you have a Mercedes, MBT of Atlanta Mercedes Master Techs is definitely the best place to take your car. They offer so many services such as Mercedes windshield repair Atlanta, transmission services, anti-theft services, tire services (like wheel alignment, tire replacement, etc.), and much more.
They say, “We are the most qualified experts in the county. We work only with Mercedes Benz cars, and all of our technicians are experts in these beautiful machines. There’s nothing quite like a Mercedes Benz. It is the finest in automobiles and is the number 1 choice of drivers with exquisite taste. When you need to get a beast of a machine like a Mercedes Benz repaired or need some body work done, you cannot just give it to a typical auto shop. Your top-of-the-line ride needs top-of-the-line service – and that is just what we do. Here at MBT of ATLANTA Mercedes Master Techs, we offer the latest STAR diagnostic technology to provide high-quality service and quick turnaround to Atlanta residents. We also offer many preventative maintenance options. It’s a convenient way to keep your car healthy. Keep your Mercedes on the road and cruising metro Atlanta with our preventative maintenance!”