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After a harsh winter season, it’s pretty common for people to get summer fever. But before you get too ahead of yourself and embark on your summer adventures, take some time to make sure your vehicle is ready for your road trips.

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Here at Einspahr Auto Plaza, we like to think that our customers in the Brookings area are family! We don’t want to see your summer vacation start off with car issues and you being stranded on the side of a highway. Here are some tips and tricks to get your vehicle ready for your summer road trips.

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 1. Prepare and Prevent

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It’s better to prepare and prevent rather than repair and repent. Planning a road trip for the worst possible outcome is a grim way of thinking about summer vacations, but it is a necessity to make sure you and your family are safe. 

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Bringing along extra supplies like water, food and a first aid kit are good things to have in case of an emergency. If your car breaks down in an area you are not familiar with, you might be stranded for a while.

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You should also think about bringing along items for your vehicle.ere is what we recommend:

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• Jumper cables 

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• Headlamp or flashlight

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• Spare tire

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• Gas

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2. Check Your Tires

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It’s not ideal dealing with a flat tire on your road trips. Usually, you’re far away from your home, it’s hot outside and changing your tire can be a grueling process. To prevent all of this unwanted stress, all you need to do is check your tires out before your trip! 

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Make sure all of your tires (even your spare tire) don’t have any cuts or gouges. Check on the tread of your tires. An easy way to know if the tread is fine on your tires is the penny test. Lastly, inspect all your tires’ air pressure. Check them when the car is idle and the tires are cool. You can find the correct air pressure for your tires in the owner’s manual of your vehicle or on the sticker on the driver side door.

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3. Check Your Fluids

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Top off your oil, brake, coolant, transmission, and power steering fluids at the correct levels for a smooth trip. You can find the correct levels and products by looking at your owner’s manual. Check them yourself or visit your local service department at Einspahr Auto.

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4. Check Your Brakes

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We can all agree that brakes are important for driving a vehicle right? Listen for any abnormal noises when you apply your brakes. Hear a grinding noise or feeling weird vibrations? Visit a service professional to check if they need to be replaced or not.

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5. Check Your A.C.

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It’s important to keep cool in the summer. Overheating can lead to some serious health problems for you and your family. Make sure your vehicle blows cold air when turning on the A.C. Also, make sure that the air coming out from the vents smells fresh. If you are getting a dirty/unclean smell, it might be time to replace the cabin air filter.

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6. Check Your Belts and Hoses

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Inspect for any wear or tear on your belts and hoses. Belts power the water pump, alternator,  and air conditioning compressor. Make sure to check for cracks or frayed belts to ensure you don’t need a replacement. A general rule for replacing belts is roughly every 60,000 miles. 

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Last but not least, make sure your vehicle’s hoses are performing optimally. Look for leaks from cracked or worn hoses by checking around the hose clamps and also around places like the water pump and radiator.

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Get Your Vehicle Summer Ready at Einspahr

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Don’t want to go through the hassle of checking your vehicle. Get it serviced with us at Einspahr Auto Plaza! We’ll make sure your vehicle will run smoothly for your summer road trips.

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