Summer just wouldn't be summer without a road trip. Whether you and your friends will all pile into your car and head to the beach for a weekend or summer is the time where you and your family all drive across America for a big family gathering, road trips are a summer tradition.

Prevent a Summer Breakdown With This Simple Road-Trip Checklist

While your vehicle of choice may run well enough for your everyday errands, a road trip, especially one in the summer, brings with it unique challenges that you need to prepare your car for. If you are looking to head out on a road trip and want to make sure your vehicle is up to the task, Oils RGV has the checklist for you.

Safety First

Before you head out, take a look at your vehicle and make sure that your headlamps, turn signals, and brake lights are all working correctly. If you notice that either of your headlamps has faded, take the opportunity to replace them both before you leave, and use the worn ones are spares.

Wipers

While your wipers may seem incidental, when it starts to rain heavily, they are essential to helping you see the road clearly. Take a minute to check the condition of your wipers, and if they have become cracked or worn, replace them.

Tires

The last thing that you want on your road trip is a flat tire. Inspect your tires, including your spare, to identify any cracks, chips, or bald spots around the tread and the wall of your tires. If any of your tires look like they aren't up to the task, replace it before you drive.

Fluids

Now it's time for the dirty work. Lift up the hood and check the following fluids:

• Engine Oil/Motor Lubricant
• Brake Fluid
• Power Steering Fluid
• Transmission Oil
• Coolant
• Windshield Water/Soap

If any of these levels are running low, replace them before you drive and keep the bottle in a basket in your boot to top-up along the way if needed. If your motor oil has become too degraded, now is the perfect time to give your vehicle a synthetic oil change. When topping up or replacing any of these fluids, be sure to use the correct replacement and one of high quality. If you aren't sure which motor oil is right for your vehicle, speak with an expert at Oils RGV at (956) 458-9399 to get the right AMSOIL oil for your synthetic oil change.

Oil Filter

The performance of your vehicle largely depends on the quality of motor oil running through your engine. The role of your oil filter is to keep your engine lubricant as clean as possible as it continues to circulate. To increase the performance of your drive over long distances, along with reducing the amount of fuel that you need, take your road trip as a chance to check on the condition of your oil filter.

Air filter

Along with engine oil, your motor requires air to enter and mix with the fuel for combustion to occur. If your air filter is clogged and clean air can not freely enter, your engine becomes starved of an essential ingredient and your performance will suffer as a result. Ford recommend that you consider changing your air filter around every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. However, it largely depends on your driving environments. The best way to check the condition of your air filter is to take it out of your engine. Easily located at the top of your motor, take a few minutes to inspect the fibers inside. If they are looking clogged, give it a quick clean. If it has reached the end of its product life, replace it.

Battery

Not only does your engine require a charge from the battery to start, with the amount of extra electronics that you are likely to be charging, it's important that your battery is in good condition. A visual inspection is all that is needed to determine if your battery is coming to the end of its life. If you notice that your battery is leaking, or there is accumulation around the connection points, it's time for a replacement. Of all of the items to replace on this list, your battery is one of the most important, as your engine won't start without it. Don't leave it for when you get back - do it before.

Use the Right Products for the Best Synthetic Oil Change in Mission

When driving over long distances, it's important that your engine and its components are provided with the right protection to operate smoothly. A synthetic oil change, air filter clean, and oil filter replacement are three of the best ways to increase the performance of your engine before a road trip. Speak with Oils RGV at (956) 458-9399 and ask about the range of AMSOIL products to keep your engine in good shape. Experts at providing the right product for the right engine, rest assured they will provide you with the best products for the job.