Whether you have a short trip or a long trip, do this one important step first before you even get into your vehicle
Do a complete walk-around of your vehicle. Starting from the driver's door, walk counter-clockwise around your vehicle. As you go, inspect the following:
- Tire pressure: Do a visual check of your tires to make sure that each one has sufficient air. If a tire has too little air, it can cause your vehicle to pull in one direction while you drive and could even come off the rim. Reinflate your tires if necessary
- Tire condition: Although you might not need to check over each tire with a fine-toothed comb, keep your eye out for bulges and cuts in your tire, as well as the level of tread remaining on your tire
- Dents or dings: Dents and dings have a funny way of mysteriously appearing on your vehicle. Sure, dents and dings won't affect how your vehicle drives today but if you don't catch them right away, they can quickly rust and permanently cause greater damage to the vehicle
- Liquid underneath the vehicle: Watch for liquid underneath your vehicle – both at the front and the back of your vehicle. Any pooled liquid could indicate a cracked line or broken container (i.e., gas tank, differential casing, etc.) and these will all impact the immediate performance and safety of your vehicle
- Cracked or chipped glass. Check all windows (especially the front window) for chips and cracks in the glass. Your vehicle's glass is essential to the structural integrity of your vehicle. A small chip or crack today might not seem like much but it weakens the glass and it can spread (thus, further weakening the glass).
- License plates. Although we might protect against a stolen vehicle, it's harder to protect against stolen license plates. Even if someone steals your plates, you are responsible for driving with plates. Therefore, if you spot that your plates are missing, you can take proactive measures immediately instead of finding out the hard way
- Obstructions. While walking around your vehicle, check for obstructions or things that could damage your vehicle. You'll be able to assess how much space you have between your vehicle and whatever is beside your it, and you can quickly spot your neighbor's child's bicycle which might have been forgotten behind your vehicle (but which you'd never see from the driver's seat)
If you do find any of these problems, take immediate action before getting into your vehicle. Move the obstruction, contact the police about your license plates, correct your tire pressure, and deal with the mechanical issues. For dents, dings, or glass problems bring your vehicle to Boyd Autobody and Glass for quick, professional repair that can correct the problem before it becomes a bigger problem.
