So, you’ve decided to make the best of the situation: “Yes, kids, this is what it was like when I was a child and most cars didn’t have air conditioning.”

Then again, maybe you’re trying to think of a game to play with your offspring while you wait for a tow truck to arrive while smoke pours out of your hood. Another scenario has the entire family loaded into the car, along with luggage and other necessaries for your vacation. Everyone is excited to hit the highway and you’re singing like Clark Griswold. Then, you turn the key and the car won’t start.

“OK, everybody out.”

With that, they all go inside and watch television while you fiddle under the hood hoping there is a simple explanation. This is no time for your otherwise reliable car to not start – not on the day you want to start a vacation.

All of these scenarios, and more, can largely be avoided with a little maintenance and a pre-trip inspection. You wouldn’t lie in the sun without your sunblock and you don’t want to hit the highway on 95-degree day without a radiator full of coolant that actually has the capacity to cool.

Is the cooling fan working and working when it’s supposed to? Is the thermostat, that little doohickey inside the cooling system that allows the coolant to flow when it’s hot and stops it when it’s cool, operating correctly? Is the battery up to snuff and the charging system charging? Do you have tires that about to lose that essential ability to hold air?

There’s nothing worse than driving down the highway on a hot summer day, with a vacation destination a couple-hundred ahead of you, and a carload of kids asking, “Are we there yet,” when you begin to realize the air coming out of the vents is actually pumping more heat into the car instead of the expected cool air.

What can you do on your own? Depending on your personal level of mechanical ability, there are several things you can do.

Inspect the tires, starting with air pressure and including a visual inspection for tire wear and/or damage. Does the coolant reservoir have coolant in it? Pick up a gauge to check the specific gravity of the coolant to see if it still cools.

Do you have enough oil in the engine? Better yet, is it time for an oil change. If you know anything about cars you know that the best time to have a fresh and full batch of oil in the engine is when you’re sitting still on a highway under the baking sun because of an accident or road construction ahead.

The best bet, as vacation approaches, even if everything seems fine, is to bring you vehicle in to a auto technician you know you can trust and have the car looked over. There are a lot of critical parts on your car and, generally, it’s not good to find out one or more of them require attention when you’re miles and miles from home.

It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re ready for the road in other ways, too. Do you have road reflectors to put out if the car does breakdown, especially if you aren’t able to get off the road? Do you have water to put in the radiator if it does overheat (remember to be very cautious about opening a hot radiator)? How about a flashlight in case you breakdown at night? How does the spare tire look?

Some optional items might include games you can play with the kids – you can even use these when you reach your destination, and a good GPS. You might even find a GPS that will steer you around the traffic jam mentioned earlier.

The point is this – a little forethought goes a long way when you take to the road. Check your route ahead of time and make sure your vehicle is up to the task. Think about these things ahead of time and you can relax and focus on your vacation once you leave the house.

To learn more, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com, or call: 815-728-0343. Performance Unlimited is located at 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood.