It’s Summertime in the Puget Sound area. Now is a great time to start planning or taking a vacation. If your Vacation includes your Subaru; here is something to consider: there’s just no such thing as a welcome surprise on a Summer road trip.

Here are some tips to help you have a successful road trip in your Subaru:

• Be sure to check your tires and don’t forget about the spare! Any tire at or below 2/32 of an inch of tread life left should be replaced, making sure the tire pressure is set is a good idea all year around, but making sure all 5 are set at the proper levels before a prolonged period of road time is crucial to safety. If you don’t know when the last time your Subaru had a wheel alignment, there is no time like the present.
• Check all of your fluids and change as needed! During the summer months the fluids are at more risk of evaporation and breaking down under extreme temperatures. This can be especially true for brake fluid if it has collected enough moisture it can actually boil during excessive brake use like coming down a mountain pass with a full load of family and gear. Brake fluid, should really be changed every 15,000 miles, or at least once a year. Carry a jug of coolant or at least water to be on the safe side. The anti boil property of Coolant can be put to the test during a long trip up a Mountain Pass, so making sure the proper mix of Ethylene Glycol to water is just as important in the Summer as it is in the Winter. Don’t forget about windshield washer solvent, bugs on the windshield are tough to remove without cleaner. It’s also a good idea whenever you stop to refuel, that you scrub the windshield at the gas station as well using the fancy tool and the dirty water.
• Make sure you check that the AC is functioning properly before venturing out, while it may have been 60 degrees in Seattle when you left, temperatures in sunny California or even just Eastern Washington may be in the 80’s or 90’s. If you are traveling with a pet this is also very important to be able to control the cabin temperature.
• When you begin to pack for your road trip be sure you don’t overload your Subaru and be mindful of how the load is being distributed, if at all possible. It’s also a good idea to be sure that you can see out of all of the windows and if not, be comfortable using just the side view mirrors.
  Rain in the Summer causes more accidents than it does in the Winter, this is because the heat of the Summer sun releases oils out of the road materials and onto the road. Rain makes it that much more slippery. This goes back to making sure the tires on your Subaru are in good shape, but even the best tires need a responsive driver. During the Summer months road construction also increases and you need to be cautious of that when traveling.
• It goes without saying that if you bring the family dog on the trip you never leave him or her in the car unattended for long, and never without the windows down enough for fresh air. Both you and the dog will need extra water so plan accordingly.

If you service your Subaru with us, most likely you are ready to go. However, a quick call or email to see if there was anything we were monitoring on your Subaru, can also go a long way to avoiding surprises. If you are not local to us; hopefully you have a good relationship with Your Subaru service shop, and can obtain that information as well.

Thanks for reading and All Wheel Drive Auto wishes you safe Summer travels.