Submitted by Gordon Maurits, TRU Occupational Health and Safety

With summer road trips just around the corner, make sure your vehicle is ready to roll. Some of the regular maintenance jobs below can be done right in your driveway; others should be left to professionals.

Be safe on the road this summer.

PREPARE YOUR VEHICLE FOR SUMMER ROAD TRIPS

Start with a visual inspection of the vehicle.
Windshield wipers: check the condition of the wiper blades
Fluid leaks: if you find one, note the colour, type, amount and where it’s located under the vehicle
Tires: inspect the tires for pressure, wear, cuts, bulges or blisters. Pay attention to the front tires as uneven wear may indicate an alignment or suspension problem

Lights: test all the lights, including headlights, taillights, turn signals, brake lights, license plate light, marker lights, hazard warning lights and interior lights (dome and dash)
General: look for loose mouldings, cracks or stone chips in the windshield, cracked or broken light covers

Now pop the hood and check fluid levels including engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, clutch fluid, power-steering fluid, engine coolant and windshield washer fluid, and the condition of belts, hoses, battery terminals and air filter (if applicable).

How is the vehicle performing? Is it hard to start, sluggish on the highway or hesitant when you accelerate? Maybe you’ve noticed some strange sounds. It might need an engine tune-up. A tune-up can improve mileage, and with the price of gas these days, that alone is worth the cost.

An oil and filter change every 5,000 km is a good rule-of-thumb for a city-driven vehicle. Use quality brand name oil and the original equipment (OEM) filter if it’s still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. This may be more frequently than specified by the manufacturer, but still worth doing if you plan to keep the vehicle a while. Viscosity (or flow rating) is an important choice. Although 5W-30 is now recommended for year-round use in most late model car engines, 10W-30 multi-grade oil is still the most popular choice. Oil with ‘Energy Conserving II’ on the label will also give a 2.7% improvement in fuel economy.

Tires are also critical to your vehicle’s performance and safety. Front to rear tire rotation every 10,000 km to 15,000 km will help equalize tire wear, however it’s wise to refer to your owner’s manual for recommended rotation pattern and service intervals.

A quick review of the services you should consider:

• Engine tune-up, including oil and filter
• Inspection of: 
brake pads, 
linings and hoses shocks, ball joints and CV joint boots, exhaust and air conditioning systems, 
fan and drive belts
• Tire rotation
• Cleaning or replacing the air filter and the PCV valve/filter (if fitted)
• Replacing parts or repairing your vehicle, as necessary

When it comes to preventative vehicle maintenance there are no shortcuts. Regular upkeep is the key. Take care of the little things and the big things generally take care of themselves.