Brandy's Trip Inspection at California Smog & Automotive Institute in Riverside

Hi, it's Brandy, and you know Riverside area drivers and their dogs love their vehicles. And one of the most enjoyable things about them is taking a road trip. Freedom from daily schedules, new sights and the open road – it's great! But there's nothing like vehicle trouble to bring the fun to a grinding halt. Today I will bark about getting your vehicle ready for a road trip because dogs love trips and you wouldn't want to disappoint us now. So let's get barkin' and get this show on the road!!!!

Now Riverside drivers can't always avoid problems, but you can take steps to reduce the probability of getting sidelined on your trip. The first step is to look at your trip plan from your vehicle's perspective. What kind of roads will you be traveling – winding CA byways? Purple mountain majesties or fruited plains? What weather conditions are you likely to encounter? How far will you travel each day? How much weight will you be hauling – passengers and luggage? Pulling a trailer, a rooftop carrier, or ATVs? Will it be dusty?

Prepared with answers to these questions, you can schedule a trip inspection at California Smog & Automotive Institute in Riverside to help you prepare your vehicle for your big adventure. Many of our Riverside customers prefer to go through this exercise with their friendly, knowledgeable service advisor to get their input and ensure they haven't overlooked anything.

A great place for Riverside drivers to start is with the tires. Inspect them for tread wear and proper inflation. Is it time to rotate your tires? Replace them? Are they up to the job? You wouldn't want to drive regular highway tires on a muddy off-road adventure on CA rock-crawling trails.

Shocks and struts play a major role in both driving comfort and safety. If they need to be replaced, you'll really be glad you did once you hit the road. Is it time for a wheel alignment? Fighting a car that's pulling to one side all day can be tiring and dangerous.

And don't forget your brakes. Any strange noises, grabbing, soft or hard pedal feel? If there is any doubt, get a brake inspection at California Smog & Automotive Institute in Riverside before you leave.

Moving under the hood, have a belts-and-hoses inspection. If something is excessively worn or near failure, the stress of a long road trip might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Talk to your service advisor at California Smog & Automotive Institute.

Your engine air filter will be inspected. Your car's air filter processes 12,000 times as much air as the fuel the engine burns. If the filter needs to be changed, you'll notice improvements on your trip.

How close are you to your next oil change? Will you be able to complete your trip before it's due? If not, just get it taken care of before you go so that you don't need to interrupt your trip. In fact, a full-service oil change at California Smog & Automotive Institute is a great idea because they will top off all your fluids and check for any other maintenance items due, such as transmission or cooling system service.

Do you notice any unusual odors in your vehicle? If so, it could be as harmless as a dirty cabin air filter. But if it's an exhaust leak, it could be fatal for Riverside drivers and their passengers on a long trip. Of course, you'll want to be comfortable, so get an air conditioning service if you aren't getting the cold air you’re used to.

Are your wiper blades still working well? If not, that is a quick and inexpensive fix for Riverside drivers. Headlamps are often overlooked when planning for a trip. If you haven't changed the bulb in six months or so, replacement bulbs will really light up the night on your trip and provide the necessary after-sundown visibility.

All the items mentioned are part of any good vehicle maintenance plan. These are things that you want to take care of anyway, but they all become more important as you plan for your trip.

They will always save you money in the long run and may prevent inconvenient stops and delays on your trip. After all, you wouldn't want to miss the world's largest ball of string, would you? Me, I looking for the world's largest BONE!

BRANDY

California Smog & Automotive Institute
3001 Chicago Ave.
Riverside, CA 92507
951.781.0412
csaiauto.com