5 Ways To Ensure Your Vehicle Is Road Trip Ready

This post has been brought to you in partnership with Havoline, but all opinions are my own.

You know hubby and I are car enthusiasts, right? Road Trips are how we live our best life! What you probably don’t know is that hubby and I change our cars’ oil and even fix some of the maintenance issues with our vehicles. Today, I’m sharing 5 Ways You Can Ensure Your Vehicle Is Road Trip Ready. And even if you’re not up for a DIY, don’t worry, we have some advice for you too.

5 Ways To Ensure Your Vehicle Is Road Trip Ready

Oil Change

Let’s start with the most important item on our checklist: make sure you have an oil change, even if you’re not past due, but  getting pretty close. 

Older vehicles need oil changes sooner than newer ones, so before taking the path towards your next destination, make sure you check this item on your list. 

For us, it starts with choosing the best oil for your vehicle. You can ask a local mechanic or research here.

Make sure you buy the appropriate oil type and viscosity – this information should be in the vehicle’s owner manual.

Since we change our oil ourselves, I thought it would be great to share our DIY process, from purchasing Havoline® PRO-RS™ Renewable Full Synthetic 5W-30 (from Walmart.com?) to changing the oil, step by step. 

Most full synthetic motor oils typically thicken as they age in service, which can hurt efficiency and fuel economy. Havoline PRO-RS Renewable resists thickening better than typical full synthetics, helping the engine perform at its best and retain its designed fuel economy. This is so important with today’s fuel prices.

Step 1: Purchase The Oil 

Our oil of choice is Havoline PRO-RS Renewable Full Synthetic 5W-30, which you can find at Walmart.com.  Havoline PRO-RS comes in Chevron’s Smart Change packaging that uses 70% less plastic than traditional quart bottles and you get 6 quarts of oil.

Step 2: 

Once your oil is delivered and you’re ready to change your oil, 

warm up the engine for 3 minutes.

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Step 3: 

Pick up a flat oil drain pan and make sure you have a ratchet set with the correct socket size to loosen and remove the oil drain plug. 

Step 4: 

Put the oil drain pan under the oil drain plug and remove the oil drain plug. 

Loosen the oil fill cap to allow the oil to drain more easily.

Step 5:

Once the oil has stopped dripping, put the oil drain plug back in and tighten it. 

Then locate the oil filter on the engine.

Step 6: 

Slide the oil drain pan under the oil filter location. 

Unscrew the oil filter – make sure your oil filter wrench is the correct size to remove your oil filter. Here are some options: 

Note: The stores have a book with the vehicle’s make and the filter needed for each vehicle.

Remove the oil filter and place it in the drain pan.

Step 7:

Take the new oil filter and rub a thin film of oil on the filter’s rubber seal, then screw the oil filter back onto the engine. (Hand tighten only.) When you feel the filter get tight, then go ¼ turn more. 

Remove the engine oil fill cap and put in the new oil. Check your vehicle’s owner manual to see how much oil your engine needs – most cars use 4 quarts + 1 more quart when changing the oil filter.

Make sure you use the appropriate oil type and viscosity – again this information should be in the vehicle’s owner manual.  

Step 8:

Close the oil fill cap.

Step 9:

Start the engine and run it for 2 mins and check the oil level, if necessary, add some oil.

Note: IF your car had the maintenance required light on, you’ll need to reset the warning. Check on youtube.com to learn how to reset the maintenance required light for your vehicle’s year and model. 

Step 10: 

Dispose of the old oil in compliance with your city’s ordinances. Most cities have an oil recycling program.  Note that the Havoline Pro-RS oil packaging is fully recyclable, which makes the clean-up much more convenient.

Check Your Tires

Make sure your tires are safe to drive and that your spare tire is in good condition. After all, nobody needs last minute road trip delays with a flat tire, right? 

Research Your destination

Before you go, make sure you check for the best route, the least congested and free of a lot of construction. 

Using your phone or computer might save you a couple hours, so why not do it? 

Car Lights

Make sure your lights work and your turning signals are in good condition, to avoid accidents and possible tickets when traveling out of state. 

Windshield Wiper And Fluid

Make sure your windshield wipers are in good condition and that your washer fluid is also at a good level. 

You don’t want to be caught in the rain on an unfamiliar road without good wipers, right? 

If you’re thinking I can check the last four points on the list, but don’t feel comfortable changing your oil? Well, no worries! 

Havoline PRO-RS is an ultra-premium, renewable full synthetic motor oil that includes 25% sustainably and responsibly sourced plant-based oils that’s better for your car and the environment. It also comes in recyclable Smart Change packaging, is available on Walmart.com and is the top performing motor oil in Havoline’s current line-up of motor oils. 

Just because you don’t change your oil yourself doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this greener motor oil option for you and your family – you can still purchase it and take it to wherever you get your oil changed and have them use it, which could even be a potential cost savings. 

It’s available in 0w16, 0w20, 5w20 and 5w30 weights. And, remember, you can get them right on the Walmart website. 

I can’t wait to hear what you think. 

You can find out more about Havoline PRO-RS Renewable here: www.havoline.com/smartchangeprors

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