Car Tips for Going Back to College

Do you know someone taking a car back to college soon?  Check out these steps on how to get your car ready for the trip back.  You can learn more at AllState.

Back-to-school time can be very busy for students and parents alike. One item not usually on the top of to-do lists is car care maintenance. Whether they’re attending high school or heading off to college, this can be an opportune time to conduct a maintenance review to help get your student’s car ready for the school season. Consider this car care checklist to help get your student—and their car—ready for a great school year.

Check the vitals under the hood. To help prevent maintenance issues or potentially costly repairs, mechanics suggest opening the hood of your vehicle and checking the following:
Fluid levels of engine oil, coolant and transmission, and brake and power steering fluid—your owner’s manual will illustrate where everything is located and the proper levels to maintain.
Battery
Date of the battery (located on top). Consumer Reports suggests that you have your battery checked if it’s more than two to three years old and your car’s entire charging system checked once a year.

Check the tires. Check the tires for uneven tread wear, nails or other potential hazards. Road &Travel magazine says one easy way to check tread depth is inserting a penny into a groove—if any part of Abe Lincoln’s head is obscured, you have enough tread. Check the pressure on each tire with a gauge when they’re cold (not driven).Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s suggested pressure, which is located on most vehicles on a sticker inside the driver’s door, center console, glove compartment lid or in the owner’s manual. Also, make sure the spare tire is inflated and a jack, lug wrench and jumper cables are in the trunk.

Check the lights. This is a good time to get your teen involved in the preventive maintenance checklist review. Have him or her get in the car and turn on the headlights, turn signals and emergency flashing lights as you walk around the vehicle to make sure they are working. Check the brake lights by having him or her press the brake pedal, too.

Find local resources for students going away. Maintenance issues still can occur despite your preventive maintenance efforts, so it’s wise to identify resources near campus. Find a trusted mechanic or local dealership that services your type of vehicle, as well as a tire store. If your driver is college-bound, the university itself can be helpful, too, so touch base with its parking services or safety department. They may have suggestions for local car services and can offer helpful services themselves. For example, the University of Louisville has a Motorist Assistance Program that offers 24/7 help on campus for things like a dead battery, flat tire or empty gas tank.

Check Your Car Before Your Road Trip

Are you going on a road trip anytime soon?  Check out this blog about how to prepare your car for any long drive you may take.  You can find out more about road trip preparation at Wheels.



Prepare your vehicle. There are four fundamental things to be sure of before you leave: tire pressures, oil, coolant and brake fluid. Most everything else can be inspected en route, but check these before rolling away.



Your tire pressures should be checked when the tires are still cold (recommended pressures will be printed in the vehicles handbook, or on a sticker in the door jamb). Once you’re rolling, the tires will heat up and the air inside them will expand and give an incorrectly high reading. You want them to be at their recommended pressures in order to maximize their life, the handling of your vehicle, and your fuel consumption.



Your oil level should be checked before leaving because it’s the simplest and most basic way to ensure the vehicle is properly maintained. If you find the level is down, top it up and take the rest of the oil container with you, as you may have to top up again.



Check the coolant level before the car starts running, because it’s a lot more pleasant to top it up when the engines cold than when its hot. And if you let it get too hot, the engine can be severely damaged. The same goes for checking the level of brake fluid in the reservoir, which can be done by sight but is too important to not monitor regularly.



Avoid getting your vehicle serviced before immediately starting out. Try to drive locally for a day or two to be sure that everything was tightened and replaced properly. There are too many tales of loose nuts and broken wires to be ignored.