San Pedro Auto Service: Is Your Car Ready for a Holiday Road Trip?

It’s that time of year again. You may be raring to go on a road trip to visit family and friends during this holiday season, but is your car ready? The last thing you want is for car trouble to ruin your trip, so your San Pedro auto service center offers these tips to make sure your car is as ready as you are.

San Pedro Auto Service Center’s Holiday Road Trip Tips

Your San Pedro auto service experts recommend checking the following components before you hit the road:

• Antifreeze: It may sound surprising, but cooling system failure is the number one cause of engine-related breakdowns. Don’t let something so simple cripple your trip! Make sure you have a 50/50 split of antifreeze to water.

• Battery: Clean battery posts and cable terminals of any corrosive build-up. This can be dangerous for both you and your vehicle if you’re unsure of what you’re doing, so don’t hesitate to contact the San Pedro auto service technicians to assist you.

• Tire pressure: Avoid tire wear by ensuring tire pressure is set to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• Tire tread: Is it time to replace your tires before your trip? You can check by putting a penny headfirst between the treads. Can you see the top of Lincoln’s hair? If so, it’s time to replace the tire. Your San Pedro auto service center provides fast turnaround tire service so your car is safe on your trip. s

• Spare tire: It’s easy to forget about the spare tire until you really need it. Remember to fill it up to the manufacturer’s recommendations so you’ll be ready in the event of a tire failure.

• Brakes: When’s the last time you really listened to your brakes? Now’s the time to take a test-drive to listen for noises, such as squealing, grinding, or clunking, which indicates imminent brake failure. Have your San Pedro auto service specialists inspect your brakes to make sure your car is road trip ready.

• Hoses and belts: Don’t overlook the importance of the proper connection of hoses and the wear of belts. Check hoses for leaks, loose clamps, and brittleness, and check belts for alignment, tearing, cracking, and glazing.

• Lights: You’re not ready for your holiday road trip until you’ve done a comprehensive check of your car’s electrical system. This includes headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and interior lights. Your San Pedro auto service center is equipped with the diagnostic tools to repair any problem with your car’s electrical system.

• Fluids: You don’t want to find yourself low on fluids in the middle of nowhere. Check the engine’s oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, antifreeze, and windshield wiper fluid.

One of the smartest things you can do to ensure a safe trip is to have your San Pedro auto service center perform a thorough 40-point safety inspection of your car’s vital systems. This includes your car’s engine system, battery, fluids, filters, brakes, tires, alignment, suspension, lights, windshield wipers, and much more.

Whether you’re going 20 miles, 200 miles, or 2,000 miles, your San Pedro auto service center’s 40-point safety inspection gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your vehicle is healthy and as ready as you are. Schedule your San Pedro auto service appointment online at www.ParkPlazaAutomotive.com or call 310.831.2888 to learn more holiday travel tips.