Back to School: You’re Ready, but is Your Car?

It’s already the end of August and you’re ready to head back to campus. However, one thing you may have forgotten to ask yourself is: is my car also ready for the upcoming school year?
You may be reading this and saying “it’s just a car, what do I need to get ready?”
Actually, there are a few key items that you should proactively take care of before you are occupied with schoolwork.  
Tires: check pressures and tread life
One of the most overlooked safety measures is checking your tires.  The first thing to do is check the air pressures. Make sure they are equal with the other tire on the same axle and within factory specifications.  Most cars have recommended tire pressures labeled on the inside of the driver door frame.
Once you have verified your pressures, check your tread life.  If you aren’t sure if your tires need replacing or not, grab a penny and follow this helpful guide from our friends at Goodyear!
Light bulbs: inspect your light bulbs, replace if damaged or old.
The last thing you want to do is drive all the way to school, just to find out that you have a faulty headlight or turn signal.  It is recommended that you do a vehicle inspection before any road trip, but if your light bulbs haven’t been replaced in 5 years or more, it may be worth it to replace them proactively so it does not become an issue later.
Oil: change your oil
Finally, we recommend you change your oil before heading back to school, even if it’s a few miles early.  While it’s important to monitor when you may need your next oil change, it is also necessary to pay close attention to the type of oil your car needs (conventional, synthetic-blend, high mileage, full synthetic, etc.). Unsure of which oil your car requires? Be sure to discuss your options with your trustworthy mechanic.
With synthetic oil, in some applications, you can go up to 10,000 miles between changes.  While you may not need an oil change today, consider planning ahead to avoid the mid-semester trip to your local mechanic.
Now that you know what to look out for before heading back to school, let us know if we can help by saving you $10 off of your first repair through Openbay.  Sign up using promo code: SCHOOL10 to claim this offer.
www.openbay.com/sign_up