Every summer, thousands of Americans pack up their cars and head off for an exciting road trip. Some of these drivers never reach their destination because they didn’t prepare beforehand, and they put their trip in fate’s hand. You don’t want to be one of these individuals. Before you hit the road to start off on a new adventure, there are a few important things that you should have checked on your vehicle. This article will discuss a few quick and easy tips regarding your vehicle’s safety that will ensure that you are ready for the road!
Tire Check
Picture this. You’re finally crossing off a bucket list item. You’ve nearly completed the entire Route 66 circuit. There have been fun sideshow stores and oddities that have made the adventure worthwhile. Plus, the long stretches of road have been quite enjoyable to travel along. However, all of a sudden, your car starts to shake violently and you hear an odd sound. Your tire has blown out.
If that wasn’t bad enough in itself, you’re also stranded along Route 66. That’s a lot of sun and desert with little relief in sight. This has all the makings of a nightmare for some people. A spare tire might be available but it can only get you so far. Spare tires aren’t meant to be driven on for long durations. They are only designed to help you get to the nearest tire shop.
This is a situation that could have been prevented if you had stopped for a tire check before you left for your adventure. Good News! Your Chicagoland Jiffy Lube® can perform a quick, easy and complimentary tire inspection. They’ll fill up your tires to the proper pressure and look for any abnormalities that may present a problem. For example, if the tread on your tires looks a little worse for wear, then it may be subjected to easier popping on the road.
Because tire blowouts can cause a lot of damage on a busy highway, you should never take your tires for granted. Before you head for your destination, have the team at Jiffy Lube perform a quick tire inspection to ensure you reach that destination safely.
Oil Change
Here’s another scenario. You’re about to enter the city you’ve been traveling to. As is common with most cities, the traffic on the highway leading into the area is abysmal. Suddenly, your engine sputters and your car is shaking a lot. Worse than that, the engine making some terrible grinding noises. Being trapped on the road with cars all around you, it may not be immediately clear what to do. On top of that, the longer your engine runs, the worse the damage becomes. You may find yourself with an extremely expensive repair. You may even have to cancel your road trip plans in order to afford it.
The problem rested with the lack of fresh oil in your car. Oil is primarily used to lubricate the car’s most important machinery. Without it, the engine cannot run smoothly. As a result, you have parts grinding against each other or stalling. This can break those parts which can then break other parts until you have a mess on your hands. What might have been a simple need for some oil is now a need for a brand new engine.
At your Chicagoland Jiffy Lube®, they can inspect your oil and give it a quick oil change to ensure that your engine is working as it was designed. Besides ensuring that you have the proper type and amount of oil in your car, they will also install a manufacturer approved oil filter. Old oil can become clumpy and not perform its job so well. It can also create a buildup that keeps new oil from accessing all parts of the engine.
Luckily, your Chicagoland Jiffy Lube® can take care of that problem and ensure that your engine is running smoothly. You may just find that your miles per gallon will improve a bit, too.
Fluid Top Off
Let’s revisit that scenario with the packed highway. Because it’s summertime, it’s already hot outside. Your car is already sitting on hot asphalt from the road. There are cars all around it, too, which only makes the area even hotter. Instead of oil being the problem, perhaps you noticed that the temperature gauge in your car is steadily rising.
Before you know it, there’s smoke billowing out of your car. If the problem becomes too bad, your car can actually catch on fire. Because the highway is crowded, you can bet that the fire department isn’t going to reach your car in time. You’ll be looking for a brand new car to replace it. Not to mention any of the objects that you may have had inside of the car. They’re all burnt up, too.
This could have been prevented with a radiator fluid top off. If you are like most people, you likely aren’t in the habit of checking how much antifreeze is in your radiator. In fact, it can be pretty easy to just think that the fluid magically refills itself. It doesn’t. Radiator fluid needs to be refilled and occasionally flushed. It may take several days, or even months before it requires a filling, but it does happen.
At your Chicagoland Jiffy Lube®, the experienced team of automotive professionals can ensure that your radiator is full of the proper coolant. Unless the radiator has a leak, which your Chicagoland Jiffy Lube® can also help with, the radiator should be able to hold the coolant and get you safely through your road trip and then some. The radiator isn’t the only fluid that should be inspected and filled either.
Your washer fluid should also be filled. If you’re driving your car a lot, then you’re going to be hitting a lot of bugs. Accidents can happen because you can’t see through your windshield well enough. Jiffy Lube can keep your washer fluid topped off to ensure that you can clean your windshield whenever the need arises.
You don’t need your road trip to be interrupted due to car problems. These three quick and easy fixes can be performed swiftly by a professional team at your Chicagoland Jiffy Lube®. Experience an adventurous, worry-free summer travel season with some help from your local Chicagoland Jiffy Lube®!
Your Chicagoland Jiffy Lube® recommends following manufacturer recommendations, where applicable, for maintenance schedules and service intervals.
Not all services are offered at each Chicagoland Jiffy Lube® location. Please check with your local Chicagoland Jiffy Lube® service center for specific services offered.
Go to ChicagolandJiffyLube.com for a complete list of locations and services.