Brake issues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nHowever, this shouldn\u2019t hold you back from your summer road trip. You just need to take the right precautions beforehand.<\/p>\n
So, before heading to the highway,\u00a0you can start by\u00a0doing a routine\u00a0car check-up. To help, we\u2019ve compiled\u00a0a\u00a0simple\u00a0list of\u00a0ways to\u00a0help\u00a0prepare your car\u00a0before you embark on your journey\u00a0this\u00a0summer, so you can minimise your chances of finding\u00a0yourself frustrated,\u00a0inconvenienced\u00a0or even stranded.<\/p>\n
5\u00a0car safety checks to make before a road trip<\/p>\n
1. Check your battery<\/p>\n
Imagine driving\u00a0across\u00a0Australia\u00a0and your battery\u00a0just\u00a0dies. To make matters worse, the next town\u00a0may be kilometres\u00a0away.\u00a0To avoid this scenario,\u00a0it\u2019s a smart idea to\u00a0check your car battery before\u00a0you set out. Are your headlights dimmer than before? Does your engine start but die immediately? Is your battery over 3-4 years old? Can you hear a\u00a0low cranking when you start the car?\u00a0If\u00a0any of these\u00a0are\u00a0the case, then\u00a0it may be\u00a0time for a replacement.\u202fGet a\u00a0professional mechanic to help you out with this.<\/p>\n
2. Test the Air Con<\/p>\n
When it\u2019s hot, we like to be cool.\u00a0Windows down with the wind in your hair is part of the\u00a0road trip\u00a0fun.\u00a0However, the\u00a0sweltering\u00a0summer heat\u00a0may\u00a0have you rolling the windows up\u00a0and\u00a0putting\u00a0the air conditioning on full blast.\u00a0The last thing you\u00a0want is for that to fail!<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t clean or replace your air filter, or you\u2019re finding that your system is struggling to keep up, you could expect a warm and uncomfortable trip ahead. If\u00a0you\u2019re not too familiar with what to do,\u00a0it helps\u00a0to consult a\u00a0professional\u00a0mechanic.<\/p>\n
3. Inspect your engine<\/p>\n
As a driver,\u00a0if you\u00a0notice your car\u00a0is\u00a0producing\u00a0an unusual sound when you start it or\u00a0it\u00a0feels heavy when you drive, don\u2019t ignore the signs.\u00a0You might find that your dashboard is\u00a0displaying\u00a0some warning lights\u00a0so\u00a0have it looked at\u00a0straight away.<\/p>\n
Things might be obvious if you open the bonnet. Have a look around\u00a0the engine and see if anything looks odd or out of place.\u00a0If you\u2019re not sure, have a professional look at it.<\/p>\n
And before taking off on a road trip you should check your oil levels to make sure your engine is well lubricated, your coolant so your radiator doesn\u2019t overheat, and your water level for your windscreen wipers should you need them in adverse weather or just to clean the dirt off your windscreen.<\/p>\n
4. Repair a chipped or cracked windscreen and any side windows or rear glass<\/p>\n
A chip in your windscreen is often a seemingly tiny problem you want to push to the back of your mind. You know you have to repair it, but you may delay fixing it because it seems too trivial.<\/p>\n
However, ignoring a windscreen chip could lead to it cracking, causing more problems for you later. So, take the time to examine your vehicle glass beforehand.\u202fFixing a chip before it cracks is faster, cheaper and greener. So don\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n
If you need a professional to look at your vehicle\u2019s glass surfaces, O'Brien\u00ae<\/sup> offers a vehicle glass repair and replacement service, with an approved repairer network that covers 987% of Australia\u2019s population and is contactable 24\/7.<\/p>\n5. Test your tyres<\/p>\n
Balding tyres can be dangerous – they lack traction and make it hard to brake. In addition, high pressure from high road temperatures can also cause changes in your tyres. To avoid accidents, conduct a visual inspection for tread wear, especially uneven wear, and replace tyres when they don\u2019t serve their purpose anymore.<\/p>\n
You also should check your tyre pressure regularly to see if they have enough air. Simply use a tyre pressure gauge which tends to be freely available at many service stations across the country.<\/p>\n
Safety: a road frequently travelled<\/p>\n
This checklist is a good start to preparing your car for wherever you want to head off for your summer road trip. However, even well-prepared explorers seek help from professionals.<\/p>\n
Just remember, no matter where you are in\u202fAustralia, you can\u202fcall\u202fO'Brien\u00ae<\/sup> to have your vehicle glass repaired or replaced. We can fix your problem in one of our nationwide branches or Authorised Dealer partners located across Australia, or our mobile technicians can also come to you.<\/p>\nThat way, if a chip or a crack threatens your road trip, you can have it sorted and be back on the road in no time.<\/p>\n
Make it a summer to remember with O'Brien\u00ae<\/sup><\/p>\nWhether you\u2019re preparing for a trip or just having a regular car check-up, O'Brien\u00ae<\/sup> knows how to help make your journey safe and memorable. With over 95 years of experience, our quality service makes us Australia\u2019s leading vehicle glass repair and replacement company.<\/p>\nWe understand our clients more than anyone else. So, feel free to start your road trip with a visit to a nearby O'Brien\u00ae<\/sup> branch for your vehicle glass solutions.<\/p>\nFor more information about our services, call us on 1800 059 829<\/a>\u202for visit https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/autoglass\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/3V1A9556-scaled.jpg\")
<\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With states across our amazing country opening up again, Australian\u2019s have started to look at ways to make up for lost time by getting out, hitting the road and enjoying the many sites to see right in our own backyard. Just in time for summer, road trips are becoming the go-to activity as they offer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":9913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,72],"tags":[451,450,446,447,452,453,448,444,454,442,443,449,441,445,246,236,117,162],"class_list":["post-9907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expert-tips","category-auto-glass","tag-airconditioning","tag-carbattery","tag-carengine","tag-cartire","tag-glassrepair","tag-glassreplacement","tag-overheating","tag-postlockdown","tag-regional","tag-roadtrip","tag-roadtripchecklist","tag-safetravels","tag-summertrip","tag-vehicleglass","tag-australia","tag-local","tag-obrien","tag-summer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Preparing Your Car for A Summer Road Trip | O'Brien\u00ae<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ready to road trip and enjoy plenty of post-lockdown activities? We've put together some expert tips to ensure your vehicle is in top shape!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preparing Your Car for A Summer Road Trip | O'Brien\u00ae\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ready to road trip and enjoy plenty of post-lockdown activities? We've put together some expert tips to ensure your vehicle is in top shape!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"O'Brien\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-11-26T05:16:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-02-10T00:48:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_1457560550-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1709\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thomas Ott\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thomas Ott\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Preparing Your Car for A Summer Road Trip | O'Brien\u00ae","description":"Ready to road trip and enjoy plenty of post-lockdown activities? We've put together some expert tips to ensure your vehicle is in top shape!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Preparing Your Car for A Summer Road Trip | O'Brien\u00ae","og_description":"Ready to road trip and enjoy plenty of post-lockdown activities? We've put together some expert tips to ensure your vehicle is in top shape!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/","og_site_name":"O'Brien","article_published_time":"2021-11-26T05:16:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-02-10T00:48:33+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1709,"url":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_1457560550-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Thomas Ott","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thomas Ott","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/","url":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/","name":"Preparing Your Car for A Summer Road Trip | O'Brien\u00ae","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_1457560550-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2021-11-26T05:16:03+00:00","dateModified":"2022-02-10T00:48:33+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/7a9711272acee9e177c59dd5a07610ab"},"description":"Ready to road trip and enjoy plenty of post-lockdown activities? We've put together some expert tips to ensure your vehicle is in top shape!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_1457560550-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_1457560550-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1709,"caption":"couple-and-dog-traveling-by-car"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/articles\/preparing-your-car-for-a-summer-road-trip\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Preparing Your Car for A Summer Road Trip"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/","name":"O'Brien","description":"O'Brien","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/7a9711272acee9e177c59dd5a07610ab","name":"Thomas Ott","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c85f9153163e2d21a177dc06f654467a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c85f9153163e2d21a177dc06f654467a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Thomas Ott"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/138"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9907"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10720,"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9907\/revisions\/10720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obrien.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}