Pre-Roadtrip Car Check: Getting Ready for the Summer Holidays

A breakdown on the side of the Monash Freeway at the start of your summer holiday is a bad way to start it. Most roadside call-outs come down to a handful of predictable causes — and almost all of them show up in a proper pre-trip check, days before you actually load the car up.

Why a quick check beats a roadside surprise

Long-distance summer driving loads a car differently to the daily commute — sustained highway speeds, a full boot, air conditioning running for hours, and often a roof box or trailer on top. Anything already marginal (a tyre losing pressure, a battery on its last legs, a belt that's starting to glaze) tends to fail under that extra load, not while it's sitting in your driveway.

Tyres: tread, pressure and the spare

Check tread depth on all four tyres, not just the two you can see easily — including the spare, which is easy to forget and often the most neglected tyre on the car. Set pressures to the manufacturer's loaded specification if you're carrying extra weight, and give each tyre a visual check for cracking, bulges or uneven wear that might point to an alignment issue.

Brakes and suspension

Loaded highway driving, especially through hill country, asks more of your brakes than city driving does. Have pads, discs and fluid condition checked, and get suspension components looked over if the car's been feeling soft, noisy, or pulling to one side — a fault that's a minor annoyance around town can become a genuine handling problem fully loaded at highway speed.

Fluids and belts

Coolant, oil, and power steering fluid should all be at the right level and condition before a long trip — low coolant in particular is one of the fastest ways to end up stranded on a stinking hot day. It's also worth having drive belts and hoses checked for cracking or perishing, since these tend to fail without much warning.

Lights, wipers and aircon

Run through every globe — headlights, tail lights, indicators, brake lights and number plate light — and check wiper blades aren't smearing before you hit the road. Confirm the air conditioning is blowing properly cold too; it's a comfort item until you're stuck in traffic on a 40-degree day with three kids in the back.

How far ahead to book it in

Aim to get your pre-trip check done one to two weeks before you leave — early enough that any repairs don't clash with your departure date, but close enough that the car's condition still reflects how it'll be on the day. Booking in the week before Christmas or Easter tends to be a scramble, so earlier is better if your dates are set.

Our logbook service and brakes & suspension checks cover everything above in one visit. Book a service before you head off, or call us on 03 8774 5785.