School’s out, you’ve knocked off from work, and hot-cross buns are flying off the supermarket shelves – it must be time for the annual Easter roadtrip! With autumn’s golden landscapes and temperate weather, there’s no doubt that this is a terrific time of year to explore Victoria and beyond. But before you hit the road to visit relatives in the country, go camping on the river or explore the coast, be sure to set aside some time to prepare your vehicle (and your family!) for the long journey ahead.
Here’s a few tips from the Cox Auto family to help you enjoy the journey.
Ensure your car is in good working order
Plan ahead and book your car in for a service with us now. We’ll give your car a thorough safety-check in line with the VACC’s accredited Critical Safety Check program and keep you on the move with our premium service experience. Ask about our complimentary loan cars and flexible prepayment options and rest assured that we’ll go that extra mile to keep you on the road.
Mention this blog post when you book your car in for a service in March 2018 and we’ll even throw in a complimentary brake-check. We’ve recently become an authorised ATE Brake Centre, which allows us to fit your vehicle with the highest quality brake pads, discs and fluids available on the market.
5 simple vehicle safety checks to do at home
If a full service isn’t on the agenda before you hit the road, there are a few simple vehicle safety checks you can do yourself. We recommend running through these checks in the week leading up to your travels to avoid any last-minute roadtrip stress. If your simple checks turn up anything unexpected, give us a call and we’ll help you on your way.
- Tyre pressure – make sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure before you hit the road, and give them a once-over for wear and tear. Correct tyre pressure can prevent blowouts, improves your fuel efficiency, and plays an important role in staying safe on the road. Your vehicle’s recommended tyre pressure is displayed in the owner’s manual, and often appears on a sticker inside the driver’s door. Your local service station will have a pressure gauge, so plan ahead and fill-up with petrol while you’re there.
- Lights – check that your head, parking, indicator, brake, reversing and numberplate lights are in good working order. The safest way to do so is with two people: one to operate the lights, the other to observe.
- Windscreen wipers – there’s nothing worse than flicking the wipers on only to find yourself looking through a smear of grime! Fill the washer reservoir, and check wiper blades for deterioration or debris.
- Coolant – check your owner’s manual for specific advice about how to check your vehicle’s coolant level. Most vehicles will have a transparent coolant reservoir so you can check the level without touching the cap, but we still recommend you do this when the engine is cool.
- Engine oil – again, check your owner’s manual for detailed instructions on checking your oil levels. Remember to check the oil when the engine is cool, and be sure to park on a flat surface!
Plan your journey
Feeling rushed is a sure-fire way to ruin that feeling of holiday-freedom, so take some time to plan your route in advance, allowing for good rest breaks. Share the driving where you can, and have a back-up plan in case your GPS or mobile phone goes out of range. Consider starting your journey the morning after you finish work for the break so you can get a good night’s sleep and avoid the bottleneck of traffic escaping the city. If you’re travelling with kids, pack the iPads (and their chargers!), but also consider some fun games to play together.
We look forward to seeing you at Cox Auto soon and wish you a safe and enjoyable journey this Easter.
