How To Get Your Car Ready for a Road Trip

It’s time to take a road trip! You’ve picked your travelling buddies, loaded up on snacks, and put together the perfect playlist to get you from A to Z.

However, it’s vital to ensure your car is in top condition. After all, you don’t want to break down in an unknown location.

Here’s what we recommend you do to prepare your car for a long journey.

1. Check your tyres

An uninflated tyre isn’t just bad for fuel efficiency; it can be dangerous. Check the tyre pressure before you leave, and inspect your tyres for wear and tear. 

The correct tyre pressure will depend on your car – we recommend checking your vehicle owner’s manual.

2. Inspect the engine oil levels

It’s critical to top up the engine oil if it’s running low; otherwise, this may cause damage to your engine.

You can do this by checking the dipstick. Wait for the engine to cool, open the bonnet, find the dipstick, wipe it and dip it back in. If the oil level is low, top it up.

3. Top up your screen wash

A clean windscreen is essential on a long road trip – you don’t want your vision to be impaired by ice, dirt, or a pile of dead insects! 

Make sure your car is filled with screen wash before you depart, and take a spare bottle of fluid if you need to top up along the way.

4. Test your lights

As you don’t see them from inside the car, it can be hard to tell if your lights aren’t working as they should. Usually, by the time the warning light comes on, it’s too late!

Flash your headlights, fog lights, indicators, and reversing lights before you head off to check they’re operational. If you have a travel buddy, ask them to walk around the car and check.

5. Fill your car

It may sound obvious, but we recommend fuelling your car before heading out on a long road trip. 

If you’re travelling to an unknown destination, you might not know where the nearest petrol station is. Plus, many petrol stations have facilities where you can top up your air and water.

Likewise, if you have an electric car, top up the charge at home before you set off.

6. Pack the essentials

While bags of sweets and a list of your favourite songs will make the trip more fun, it’s also important to have the essentials to hand too. That way, you’re prepared for any emergency situation.

Pop the following in your boot:



• A torch
• A bottle of water
• Warm clothing and blankets
• First aid kit
• Empty fuel can
• Tyre pump
• Screenwash
• Spare bulbs
• Engine oil
• Tyre jack
• Wheel wrench
• Jump leads
• A red warning triangle – this alerts other drivers that you’ve broken down

It’s also good to have your insurance information and breakdown provider details to hand in case you need them. Either print them out and put them in your glove box, or keep the details on your mobile phone.

Want more handy hints and tips about car maintenance and care? Check out the Ablefit blog.