Preparing Your Car For A Long Road Trip

Whether you and your family are getting away for the weekend or planning an extensive vacation, a long road trip requires careful preparation. Cars are built to be more reliable today than ever. But, even with proper maintenance, parts can still fail. Fortunately, by planning ahead and taking the right steps, you can reduce your chances of breaking down. You can even fix minor problems yourself after you’ve pulled your car to the side of the road. Here are 3 important things you should do to get your vehicle ready for the road trip.

Two Weeks Before You Leave

Take your car to a trained auto mechanic at least two weeks before leaving for your vacation. A lot of drivers wait until the last day before visiting the repair shop. That’s a bad idea. If your vehicle needs repairs or replacement parts, your mechanic might need more than one afternoon to do the work. Plus, auto repairs aren’t infallible; things can go wrong. When they do, it’s usually within the first 150 miles. Giving yourself a couple of weeks to “test drive” the repairs allows plenty of time to have them fixed if problems occur.

Prepare Your Roadside Emergency Kit

Even with the best preparations, you can find yourself stranded by the side of the road. For example, you might get a flat tire, your battery may unexpectedly fail, or you might be involved in a traffic collision. Pack a flashlight, bottled water, hazard flares, and jumper cables. You should also have a spare cell phone battery, a small pad of paper and extra pens. That way, if you are involved in a traffic accident, you can take notes and write down the other driver’s information.

A Few “Quick Fix” Essentials

Any long car trip requires carrying a few extra auto supplies. Your vehicle should already have a spare tire and a small jack in the trunk. You should also pack a few bottles of motor oil and transmission fluid. Plus, in addition to the items in your roadside emergency kit, pack a can of tire sealant, a few roles of electrical tape, and basic tools, such as a screwdriver and pliers.

One last note about the small jack in your vehicle’s trunk. Test it before leaving your house. Often, they’re designed for portability rather than strength. For larger vehicles, the jack may not be sufficient; in some cases, using it may even be dangerous.

Preparing for that long road trip can be time consuming task. Being prepared and covering all your bases and keeping up with the car maintenance will give you piece of mind for the journey ahead.

Taking your car on a long road trip should be worry-free. But, you need to plan ahead in order to avoid problems. Visit your mechanic a couple of weeks before leaving, replenish your roadside emergency kit, and pack a few extra auto supplies. If something goes wrong while you’re on the road, you’ll be better prepared to resolve the issue.

The Value Of Vehicle Computer Chip Adjustments

For a modern automobile, computer-controlled goes hand in hand with horsepower. In earlier years, a few carburetor adjustments would translate into a performance boost. However, since the advent of electronic fuel injection and other technological advancements, systems under the hood of your vehicle are increasingly controlled by computers. As a result, aftermarket computer chips have been developed that enable even a technophobe to modify their vehicle.

Upgrades: How and Why

While there may be a variety of upgrade manufacturers, including JET Performance, Superchips, etc., they all work on the same principles. First, a programmer module, otherwise known as a tuner, is connected to the car computer via the ALDA connector. Note that this connector type is only present on vehicles manufactured on or after 1996. After the connection is made, the tuner pulls in the VIN and all other configuration data. Once that data is analyzed, the tuner presents the user with a settings menu.

Upgrades are not necessary for motorists, but the activity isn’t limited to the car junkie or performance enthusiast. When the car leaves the factory, the control unit is programmed according to an “average driver” profile. For drivers who need the acceleration and power to successfully tackle a freeway on-ramp day after day, or those faced with steep inclines on a routine basis, module tuning can be valuable.

Common Adjustments

There are literally dozens of parameters available on a typical computer tuner, but among them, five settings can significantly change your vehicle’s driving performance. First, the “top speed limiter” determines your car’s maximum speed. When using high-performance tires, this should be adjusted in order to match the specified ratings.

The “rev limiter” determines the maximum rpm (revolutions per minute) value the engine can withstand. By increasing this setting, also known as widening the powerband, your car can deliver more emergency power. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to avoid an erratic driver or claim your spot on the freeway.

“Shift points” are speed and rpm markers that determine when an automatic transmission switches gears. By tweaking these points it is possible to improve acceleration, which is vital for quick passing or avoiding accidents.

Speedometer and odometer corrections are useful for tire size compensation. Cars are programmed at the factory for stock tire sizes, but for those who have installed larger tires or changed 4×4 gear ratios, the speedometer and odometer are no longer accurate.

The most important setting on a tuner concerns the gas and air mixture. These adjustments can result in additional horsepower, torque, and better fuel economy, but drastic changes can be harmful to your engine. In addition, personal driving habits can play a big role in the fuel mix configuration.

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