Road trip preperation?
 

leaving for a 15 hour (950miles each way) road trip friday night and taking the 2000 civic with 81000 miles on her.

what type of things should i check before i leave.
already did these:
1. oil change
2. tire pressure check (getting wheels balanced and tires rotated on wednesday)
3. all lights work fine
4. fluids look good.

what else?

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

Maybe change the fuel filter for a little better gas mileage?

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

Long as you're up to date on other maintenance (timing belt, fluid changes, etc), you should be good to go. Inspect the belts and hoses under the hood. Might want to inspect the brakes while the wheels are off for balancing.

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

don't forget new wiper blades, top off all fluids, put together a small tool kit, emergency roadside kit

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

Check belts, hoses, airfilter, plugs & wires, fuel filter, wiper blades, battery voltage, brake linings, any unusual noises, and tire-changing supplies/tools. Take a cellphone (w/car-charger), an atlas, and a roadside emergency kit. This last might include 1gal distilled water, powerbars, flares, crank/shake flashlight, blanket, painkillers, jumper cables, spare fuses, and basic tools. If you're going through remote areas, I'd even suggest extra fuel and a spare alternator belt.

I also check the oil level before starting the engine after every fuel-up on the trip. This allowsmost of the oil todrain back into the pan and lets me know if I'm burning or leaking oil before it becomes a serious problem. Then I do a visual inspection of the tires and under the hood.

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

omg hes not going to have enough space to put any of his stuff in the car for hit trip. the extra alterantor is a little much dont u think.i mean theres is usually rest stops and stuff on the way were u can stop. but just get the quick stuff cheakes like the hoses and oil. im not telling you to not be prepaired but dont go getting a tune up either. remember u drive a honda ' there built ford tuff ' lol

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

dang i wouldnt use all of that unless your going out in the desert.LMFAO


just check all your fluids and tire pressure EXPETIALY your spare tires air and jack tools are all thier! and some junk food and candy for munchies and your ready to roll!!!!! and of course a cellphone just incase BUT now adays a cellphone is almost everywhere already.LOL

only reason i would ever carry anything more than that on a road trip is if it was winter.... it would be coats and blankets and some thing to eat.... or going thru a desert along way which would just be drinnks and food...

OR if i knew the car had its share of problems.... then id get some cables and such.
but if ya havent had any problems with the car just check the fluids and tire pressure and ya should be fine...

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

big bag o' green. nuff said.

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

umm toilet paper. food and drinks.

if your car hasn't let you down for 81k, it porbably won't. just do you basica maintenace check ups and drive careful and you should be fine.

afterall it is a civic whcih is super reliable.

i would bring a set of tools tho, just a small amount. couple wrenches and sockets pliars etc. but for sure i would have a tire plug kit.

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

get yourself one of those nice massagers from walmart and then take it back when you get back. lol works like charm

RE: Road trip preperation?
 

Hehehe...He'll have plenty of room. Most of the smaller items fit into the sparetire well...even with a fullsize spare. I carry these items and then some, yet you'd never know most of them were in the car until I pulled them out.The cellphone, atlas, powerbars, blanket, some drinking water, and the flashlight should all secure easily within reach...in case he becomes immobilized in the driver's seat.That also brings to mind some kind of tool to cut through a seatbelt, if necessary. I usually carry a Leatherman multi-tool.This stuff doesn't take up much interior room either, if he has a seatback pouch, a center console, and a glovebox. Nowheredid I mention an alternator...hehehe. Carrying a spare alternator BELT takes up minimal space though. He also didn't say what areas he's travelling through, so I covered a lot of possibilities. There areplaces on this continentwhere that list would be bare essentials for someone unskilled insurviving adverse conditions. He could basically just make the trip with nothing but the clothes he's wearing and a pocket of cash, but that isn't exactly being prudent unless he's MacGyver.I didn't mention a first-aid kit because most people with sense would know they could use the blanket or clothing to make bandages in an emergency. A bee-sting and snakebite kit could behandy in an emergencyat a remote rest area though. I also didn't mention a fire extinguisher because most people couldn't use one effectively enough versus just getting the heck away from a burning vehicle.

Anyway...Being prepared couldmean the difference between waiting several hours forsomeone responsibleto find you, or being able to get underway in a few minutes on your own ('Tumbleweed blows under your car at 75MPH and takes out a perfectly good hose or belt. It can be a 10min fix or a several hour wait with a towing/repair bill to pay.). You'd be surprised at how many people I've pulled back onto the road over the yearswho didn't even have a cellphone or water handy after they slid into a ditch on someBFE highway. They were lucky they didn't get pinned behind the wheel or something. I possibly wouldn't have known to stop if they hadn't been flailing their arms by the roadside. There have been people trapped in cars for days at a time after they flew off the road. I think it's better to be prepared than to be a statistic, especially in the summer desert, the winter mountains, or even the banditoareas of Latin America.