Returning to the car after a family vacation rest-stop stretch, the son noticed a greenish fluid under the car and pointed it out to Dad. It was antifreeze coolant seeping from a radiator hose. The leak could have led to serious overheating after a bit more driving. Luckily, Dad was prepared. After tightening a loose clamp on the radiator hose, he added some antifreeze to the reservoir and they continued merrily on their way. Luck? Not entirely. They made their own luck by being car care aware and noticing the leak and knowing how to find a minor leak and repair it. An even better measure would have been to prevent the problem by scheduling a pre-trip maintenance check with their trusted repair facility back home.
Before starting out on your next road trip, take your vehicle for a check of vital systems and components. It is always a good idea to schedule this a week before you are ready to leave to allow time for any repair or maintenance that might need to be performed. All too many times, a customer will come in the day before leaving and does not have time to have the needed services completed. This compromises the reliability of the vehicle or makes the trip impossible. Among the items to check are oil, automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze coolant, windshield washer fluid, tire tread and pressure, brakes, hoses and belts.
