The holidays usually mean one thing for a lot of us: hitting the road to see family, whether that’s a quick trip across Louisiana or a longer haul out of state. Before you load up the car with gifts, luggage, and everyone’s favorite road trip snacks, it’s worth running through a quick holiday road trip checklist for the car to make sure it’s actually ready for the drive.
The last thing anyone wants is to be stuck on the side of the highway on Christmas Eve waiting on a tow truck. Most of what causes holiday breakdowns is preventable with a little attention beforehand, so let’s walk through what to check before you leave.
Why Holiday Trips Are Extra Hard on Your Car
Holiday road trips tend to put more strain on a vehicle than everyday driving. You’re often covering more miles in a shorter window, packing the car heavier than usual with luggage and gifts, and driving during cold weather conditions that can expose problems your car has been hiding all year.
On top of that, cold temperatures affect things like battery performance, tire pressure, and fluid viscosity, so an issue that seemed minor in the fall can suddenly become a real problem once winter sets in.
Start With the Battery
Cold weather is hard on car batteries, and a battery that’s already weakening is far more likely to fail in freezing temperatures than in mild weather. If your battery is a few years old or you’ve noticed slow cranking when you start the car, get it tested before you leave rather than hoping it holds up for the trip.
While you’re at it, it’s worth having your alternator checked too, since a weak alternator can leave you with a battery that keeps dying even after a jump.
Check Your Tires Before You Load Up
Tire pressure drops as temperatures fall, so tires that were properly inflated in warmer months can end up underinflated once winter hits. Underinflated tires affect handling, fuel economy, and safety, especially on long highway stretches. Here’s a quick tire checklist before any holiday trip:
- Check tire pressure on all four tires, plus the spare,
- Inspect tread depth to make sure you’ve got enough grip for wet or icy roads,
- Look for any uneven wear, which could point to a wheel alignment issue,
- Make sure you actually have a working spare and the tools to change it.
If your car has been pulling to one side or the steering wheel isn’t centered, get your alignment checked before the trip, not after you’ve already put a few hundred miles on it.
Don’t Skip the Basics – Oil, Fluids, and Brakes
A holiday road trip is a good excuse to catch up on maintenance you might have been putting off. If you’re due (or close to due) for an oil change, get it done before you leave rather than trying to remember which random shop in another town is open on a holiday weekend.
It’s also worth having your brakes checked, especially if you’ll be driving through mountainous areas or unfamiliar terrain where you might be braking more than usual. And don’t forget coolant and washer fluid, both of which matter more in winter driving conditions than people usually expect.
Test Your Heater and Defrosters
Nobody wants to find out their heater doesn’t work halfway through a freezing drive. Before your trip, run your heater and make sure it’s actually blowing warm air, not just moving air around. Check your defrosters too, since foggy or frosted windows are a real visibility hazard on cold mornings.
If your heater has been blowing cold or taking a long time to warm up, that’s worth having looked at before you’re relying on it during a long drive with the whole family in the car.
Pack a Basic Emergency Kit
Even with everything checked and running well, it’s smart to keep a small emergency kit in the car for holiday travel. A flashlight, jumper cables, a phone charger, blankets, and some basic tools can make a big difference if you do end up dealing with an unexpected issue on the road, especially somewhere without cell service.
If You’re Towing a Diesel Truck’s Worth of Gear
If your holiday travel involves towing a camper, trailer, or a truck bed full of gear, your diesel truck needs a little extra attention before the trip. Towing puts additional strain on the engine, transmission, and brakes, so it’s worth having those systems checked ahead of a long haul, not after you’re already a few hours down the highway.
A Reminder – Small Issues Don’t Fix Themselves on the Road
If you’ve noticed anything off with your car lately – hesitation, strange noises, warning lights, don’t assume it’ll be fine for the trip. Something easily overlooked, such as early signs your transmission needs attention, is also a small problem that tends to get worse under the extra strain of a long drive, not better.
If your car has been sitting a lot or you’re not totally sure of its condition, it might also be worth visiting a local car repair shop for some preventative car maintenance before you assume everything’s fine just because it’s been driving okay around town.
Get Your Car Trip-Ready at Future Auto Repair
A holiday road trip checklist doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to happen before you’re already packed and pulling out of the driveway. At Future Auto Repair, we help drivers throughout Bossier City, LA get their vehicles ready for holiday travel every year, from battery testing and brake repair to oil changes and full engine diagnostics.
Contact us or visit our shop at 2250 Benton Road, Bossier City, LA, before your holiday travels begin. A pre-trip inspection can help catch small issues early, giving you more confidence on the road and helping you avoid unexpected breakdowns during your trip.