When you go on holiday by car, you don't want to be stranded with a breakdown because you haven't checked your car's parts. A holiday check on your own car, before you leave, is therefore not an unnecessary luxury. It may take some time – a reason for people to hire a car on holiday – but then you know you're setting off safely. You can do a large part of a car check yourself before your holiday, such as checking the coolant and oil levels. Other things can be checked by the garage. What does the holiday check for your car look like? We'll show you in this article.
What to check on your car before your holiday?
Before you go on holiday by car, it's important to check a few things to ensure you can travel safely and without any issues. Think about things like coolant, oil level, air conditioning, and the like. By carrying out these checks, you reduce the chance of unexpected problems and can go on holiday with peace of mind.
Coolant
At higher temperatures, there is a greater chance of an engine overheating. This is especially true when you have to drive in a lot of traffic jams, as there is no airflow to cool your engine. The coolant cools your engine, but you must have enough coolant in your engine. Therefore, always check the level of your coolant before departure. Do this with a cold engine. The reservoir where the coolant is located indicates the minimum level, so you can easily top it up yourself to the desired value.
Oil level
The oil in your engine keeps the moving parts lubricated and also serves as a coolant. The So the oil level is important to check. in the summer before you go on holiday. You check the oil level using a dipstick with a cold engine. Put the dipstick into the engine and pull it out. You can now read the oil level on the stick. If the oil is below the minimum, be sure to top it up. Read here how much oil your car needs.
Windscreen washer fluid
In the summer, you often get flies, sand, and other dirt on your car windows. It's then useful if you can remove this with your windscreen wipers. Therefore, always check the windscreen wiper fluid in your car during your holiday check. You can easily top up this fluid yourself. Use blue fluid that is suitable for the whole year or yellow/pink fluid that is specifically for the summer months.
Air conditioning
An air conditioning system should be checked and refilled annually anyway, but it might be particularly useful to do so again before you go on holiday. Although it is wiser to have a professional look at it, you can also turn on the air conditioning yourself in the winter. This lubricates the compressor, for example, and keeps the entire system healthy. This leads to fewer leaks and associated repairs.
Tyre pressure and tyre tread
If the tyre pressure is incorrect, you run the risk of a blowout, and it's bad for your car in general. Therefore, checking the tyre pressure is recommended before you go on holiday. You'll also naturally want some grip on narrow, winding mountain roads. That's why checking your tyre tread is also recommended. You can easily buy a tyre tread depth gauge. The legal minimum is 1.6 millimetres depth. For on holiday abroad A tyre tread of at least 2.0 millimetres is nevertheless recommended.
Lighting
Working lights are always important when you're driving at night. Lighting ensures that other drivers can see you, but also that you can see enough of what's happening on the road. Broken lights are also an offence in many countries, which can lead to a traffic fine. So, before you set off, check with someone or in a reflective surface that every light is working. Also check the fog lights, dipped headlights, sidelights and so on.
Have a garage holiday car check done
For a full holiday check of your car, it's best to visit a garage, as you can't check things like the radiator, brake discs, brakes, battery, alternator, shock absorbers, exhaust, and V-belt yourself. Especially if it's been a while since your last major or minor service and you use your car a lot, a car holiday check at the garage is advisable.
Things to take on your car holiday
What mustn't you forget now when you are travelling by car for a long time? Here we've jotted down the most important items you should have in your car:
- Fuses
- Spare keys
- Warning triangle
- First-aid kit
- Jump leads
- Hi-vis vest
- Spare wheel
- Creek
- Fire extinguisher
