The week before a road trip: what to check and what to skip

Most roadside calls we get come from things that were visible a week earlier. These five, in this order, prevent most of them.

Seven days out: the tires

Check the pressure cold, including the spare, and look at the tread on the inside edge. A penny test takes a minute.

Six days out: the oil and the lights

If the oil change is within 1,000 miles of due, do it before you leave. Walk around the car with the lights on.

Five days out: the battery

Batteries over three years old fail on hot days as often as cold ones. We test them free, with a printout.

Three days out: coolant and belts

Look for coolant at the full line and cracks on the serpentine belt. Heat and long climbs find the weak ones.

The day before: the A/C and the wipers

Run the A/C on max for ten minutes and check the wipers. Both are cheap to fix in town and miserable to fix on the highway.