Remembering the dead as well as your car needs

Make your out-of-town trips during holiday breaks worry-free by keeping your car in tip-top shape.

MANILA, Philippines–With the short holiday break coming up, many of us will do the annual sojourn to the cemetery. For others, this means an out-of-town trip to visit the dearly departed brethren entombed in the provinces.

It is at this time when break-downs can really spoil your holiday mood, and cause stress, or, worse, traffic. Here are some helpful reminders for the worry-free driving.

1. Make sure your car is in tip-top shape.

Have your vehicle booked at the dealership or your favorite independent specialist shop for a quick check of fluids (oil, coolant, transmission, brake, clutch or ATF). Make sure they are in good working order, filled to the brim, and well within their service life. Same with the filters (air filter, oil filter, fuel filter and cabin air-conditioner filters).

2. Check you brakes and tires.

Make sure your tires have decent tread depth left in them, and have no impaled nails, screws or other sharp objects. Have the tires vulcanized or replaced as needed; don’t go cheap on these as doing so can lead to serious injury or death. Then pump them up to the recommended tire pressure. If you can’t find any recommendation from the owner’s manual, the driver-side door jamb or fuel filler flap, start at 35 psi and go up or down from there depending on your preference.

Likewise with the brakes, make sure there’s still enough brake pad material, and the brake discs or rotors are still thick and within their service life. Replace as needed and flush out old fluid when servicing any of the brake components.

A full four-wheel alignment is also a good idea so that steering effort is light and easy as well as responsive, and the car will feel stable in the wet or during emergency avoidance maneuvers.

Don’t forget to check your spare tire too. The only thing worse than a flat tire is a flat spare tire!

3. Check your electrical system.

Have your battery checked for charging capacity. And check on all your electrical components, like headlights, tail-lamps air-conditioning system, horn, etc.

4. Check and replace your wipers.

They’re one of those parts we usually take for granted until it rains cats and dogs. If you can’t remember when was the last time you changed wipers, and your car is over three years old, just change them.

5. Check that your tools, car-jack and workman’s gloves are complete.

Our tools are like our insurance policy: We make sure we have them complete and ready to use, but we pray we will never need to use them. Aside from basic hand tools and jack included in our cars, a three-meter tow rope, battery jumper cables, and a pair of red and yellow emergency roadside hazard devices, or EWDs, are highly recommended, plus a powerful flashlight with working batteries.

6. Technology is your friend.

Before leaving, check for the 3- or 5-day weather forecast on the route to your destination. Check traffic apps such as MMDA or Waze for road conditions and map out your route, with preplanned stops along the way for food and toilet breaks, and for you to stretch your legs. Following a preplanned route and a schedule is the best way to keep things predictable and relaxed. Don’t forget to pack your mobile phone or media device chargers, too.

7. Remove all unnecessary items in your car.

Oftentimes, I recommend people to pack what seems to be like a lot of items that they won’t normally need. But I also recommend people leaving out things which they will never have any use on a trip, such as sports equipment, car parts, dirty and smelly clothes in the trunk, empty bottles, etc.

You need to make space for other, more important things in your car, and to minimize all the weight you are carrying to aid in fuel efficiency.

8. Gas up your car, “air-up” (fill) the tires, and top up all fluids the night before you leave.

Doing all of these on the day of your departure will delay you because gas stations will be lined up for miles with people rushing to get things done at the last minute.

The long lines at gas stations can lead to confusion, too, as gas station attendants are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people. It’s also a good idea to pack your things in the evening and take your car around the block for a short test drive to see that everything is working fine.

9. Pack some light drinks and snacks, bring good music and rest from time to time.

You need fluids to keep yourself hydrated and good music to keep things lively. You will also need to stretch at least every three hours of driving to improve circulation, to get some fresh air and to stretch your cramped legs. Pack a pair of sunglasses, too, so your eyes don’t get tired from the bright sunlight.