Friday, July 12, 2019

Vehicle Checklist Before Heading to College

July is the last month of summer before it’s time to go back to college. Whether you or your kids are going back, it’s important to make sure your car is reliable for the upcoming school year. College is a crazy busy time, so if you plan on having a car on campus, it’s important to make sure it’s a reliable source of transportation. Here are seven things to check off before heading to college from Spieler’s Incorporated.

1. Change Your Oil

Generally, you should change your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, but check your owner’s manual for your car’s range. Before heading off to school, check to see if your oil is close to that time or mile frame. If it’s within a couple hundred miles or within a month of when you should change it, go ahead and change it early so that you don’t have to worry about it in the middle of a busy school year.

2. Check the Fluids

There are many different fluids that are essential to keeping your car running properly. Before headed off to college, check your car’s fluid levels including coolant, brake fluid, and windshield wiper fluid.


3. Check Tire Air Pressure

Nothing ruins a day like a flat tire on the highway. Prevent from having this headache of an emergency by checking your tire air pressure before you leave home. You can purchase an affordable handheld gauge to easily check your pressure. Check your tires before you’ve driven so that they’re “cold”. Most newer cars have a sticker with the recommended tire pressure inside the driver’s door or you can find a chart within your car’s manual. As a general rule of thumb though, tire pressure should normally be between 30 and 35 pounds per square inch, but again make sure to check your car manual.

4. Check the Air Filter

Make sure that you don’t overlook the air filter. This is an important part to check. Without a supply of clean air, the engine will not run as well. In addition, remember to check the cabin filter so that the air inside of the car is fresh and clean.

5. Check Battery

Sometimes batteries die without warning. That’s not always the case though. If your battery has corrosion or if it takes a bit of time for your engine to start after turning your key, these may be signs that the battery may need replacing in the near future. Also, on the top of many batteries, there is a label that includes the date of purchase. If this date was over four years ago, it may be time to consider replacing your battery.

6. Check Lights and Signals

Before heading off to college, check to make sure that all of your lights and signals are working properly. To do this, ask someone to stand outside of your car while you turn them on. Check to see that all of your headlights, tail lights and turn signals are working properly. This simple check could help prevent a possible future car accident.

7. Plan for Emergencies

Let’s face it, sometimes emergencies are inevitable. If you do find yourself broken down on the side of the road, make sure that you’re prepared. Emergency equipment to have on hand includes jumper cables, a spare tire, a car jack and tools that are necessary to change a tire.


Whether you or your child is headed off to college, it can be a very exciting time. Prepare for a safe trip and school year with this vehicle checklist. Stop by Spieler’s Incorporated today for all of your car service needs, so that your car can be in its best condition for the school year. We do more than sell cars at our California, MO dealership, we also help to make sure that your car is running safely.

Proudly Serving the Columbia,
Jefferson City, and California, MO Areas


1109 W. Buchanan St.
California, MO 65018
(888) 455-2107


                              

                                             www.spielersinc.com
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