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People across the country are preparing to pack up their cars and hit the road for vacations. But with gas prices on the rise and the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimating more than 7.5 million vehicle breakdowns over the summer months, it’s important to ensure your vehicle is ready for the trip with proper maintenance and safety tips. Firestone Tire & Service Centers offer these helpful tips before you hit the road.

Be Ready:

• Get Your Vehicle checked by a certified auto technician

• Check your engine, battery, exhaust and cooling systems

• Keep fluids filled

• Maximize fuel efficiency by checking tire air pressure monthly

• Watch tie tread depth for fuel effiency and driving safety

• Have your tires rotated and aligned as necessary

Begin by taking your car to a certified automotive technician for a full seasonal check-up. You can find a certified technician in your area by visiting www.MasterCareUSA.com. The technician can make sure that your vehicle’s engine, battery, exhaust system and cooling system are in good working order. The vehicle’s main fluids, including the engine oil, radiator coolant, brake, transmission, window washer and power steering fluids, should also be checked to make sure they are filled to the recommended levels and ready for hot days.

This is the perfect time of year to check your vehicle’s cooling system, before your car’s engine temperature hits peak highs from running the air conditioning system during the hot summer months. The cooling system of most cars requires a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze, which should be flushed once every two years. Have a technician determine if your car is ready for a system flush — this preventive maintenance step can save you from an inconvenient roadside breakdown and a big maintenance repair bill in the future. Another thing to watch is your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Analysts predict that gas prices may average as high as $2.50 per gallon across the country and close to $3 a gallon in California. Many drivers do not realize that tire pressure can significantly affect vehicle gas mileage. Under-inflated tires will actually decrease your vehicle’s gas mileage and shorten the life of your tires.

A label on the driver’s inside doorjamb, glove compartment door or fuel door lists recommended tire pressures for different speeds and loads. NEVER use the “Max Pressure” number found on the sidewall of your tire.

Tires can lose up to one PSI (pound per square inch) per month under normal conditions. Tire pressure, therefore, should be checked often, at least monthly, and always when the tires are cold — driven less than one mile or stationary at least three hours. And remember, you have five tires — four on the vehicle and a spare! By maintaining the correct air pressure, you could realize a 10 percent improvement in your fuel economy.

It is essential to make sure that your tires are properly inflated, rotated, aligned and replaced as necessary. And watch your tire tread. Worn tires can be extremely dangerous on wet road surfaces, so check your tires’ wear bars — small raised points of rubber in the grooves that show up when tires are worn. If the tread is the same height as the wear bars, it’s time for a new tire. Here’s another easy test: place a U.S. penny into a tread groove with Lincoln's head facing down. Select a point on your tire where tread appears lowest. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, you are below the minimum tread depth (2/32”) and the tire should be replaced. Remember, this simple test is only appropriate for tires on passenger vehicles.

The Car Care Council estimates that more than $62 billion in vehicle maintenance and repair that should be performed every year is neglected, evidence that there is considerably more that consumers should be doing to protect their automotive investment. Following these few easy tips from Firestone Tire & Service Centers, drivers will be prepared for all their road trips.

Trisha Hessinger, an automotive education specialist and former racecar driver, is currently the national spokesperson for Firestone Tire & Service Centers’ award-winning Car Care Academy program. For details on the Car Care Academy program and Trisha Hessinger’s bio visit www.MasterCareUSA.com