A road trip goes smoother when the car gets a short check before you leave. Flat tires, weak batteries and empty tanks are all things we help with, and each one often gives some warning first.
Whether you are leaving from Mountain View, Sunnyvale or Palo Alto, or coming home to them, here is a short pre-trip check, a small emergency kit, and who to call on a freeway versus a city street.
What should I check on my car before a road trip?
Start with four checks: tires, battery, fuel and your phone.
Tires, including the spare
Check the pressure in all four tires while they are cold, and compare it with the sticker on the driver’s door jamb. The number on the tire sidewall is usually a maximum, not the pressure your car wants. Look for nails, cracks and bulges while you are down there.
Then check the spare. A spare can sit untouched for years and is often low when you finally need it. Some cars carry a sealant kit or an inflator instead of a spare, so find out which you have, and make sure the jack and lug wrench are actually in the car. If you do get a flat, we can plug a repairable puncture or install your spare where you are parked.
Battery age
Find out how old your battery is. If it has been in the car for several years, or you cannot remember when it was changed, have it tested before a long drive. Slow starts and dim lights are warning signs, and heat and many short trips are hard on batteries. We test the battery and its connections and tell you what we find before any work starts.
For trips that end back home, remember that a car left parked while you are away can come back to a flat battery. We can jump it where it is parked.
Fuel
Start with a full tank, and fill up before the gauge gets low instead of waiting for the light. Stations can be farther apart than you expect on long stretches of freeway or hill roads. If you do run dry, we deliver fuel to you.
Phone and charger
A dead phone cannot call anyone. Charge it before you leave, and bring a car charger and a portable power bank. Save (415) 712-4161 in your contacts now, and share your route with someone you trust.
What belongs in a small roadside emergency kit?
Keep the kit small enough that it stays in the car all year. A workable one holds:
- A flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries
- Reflective triangles or flares
- A tire pressure gauge, plus the jack and lug wrench for your spare (or an inflator or sealant kit if your car has no spare)
- Work gloves and a few rags
- A first aid kit
- Water and a snack for everyone in the car
- A warm layer or blanket, since evenings on the coast and in the hills often turn cold, even after a warm day
- A portable power bank and a phone cable
- A paper copy of your registration and an emergency contact
- Jumper cables or a portable jump starter, only if you have read how to use them on your car
Check the kit before each big trip, because flashlight batteries die and water bottles get used.
Who do I call on a freeway versus a city street?
It depends on where you stopped, and getting to safety comes first. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911.
- On a Bay Area freeway during peak travel hours, call 511 and say “Freeway Assist”. The Freeway Service Patrol is free, covers freeways only, and can jump a battery, change a flat or supply some fuel.
- On a city street, in a parking lot, at home or at work, call or text us at (415) 712-4161. The same goes for a freeway outside peak travel hours, since the patrol works peak hours only. We come to your vehicle, 7am to 8pm, 7 days a week, in Mountain View and nearby cities.
- If your keys end up locked in the car at a stop, we provide car lockout service.
We do not tow. If a car truly needs a tow, we tell you so you can arrange one. Here is how to tell whether your car needs a tow.
What should I have ready when I call?
Have four things ready: your name, your location, the vehicle’s year, make and model, and a short description of the problem. On a freeway, add the direction you are heading and the nearest exit or landmark. On a city street or in a lot, a cross street or the name of the nearest business helps.
We do not publish prices, and we tell you the cost for your situation when you call.
Heading out from Mountain View or coming home to it? Call or text (415) 712-4161, 7am to 8pm daily.
