Before a road trip, check your car's tyres, fluids, lights and wipers, and make sure your WOF and rego won't run out while you're away. It takes about ten minutes in the driveway, and it's a lot more pleasant than an afternoon on the shoulder of State Highway 1 with the whole family and a chilly bin.
If anything on the list looks off, or the car is due a service anyway, book it in a week or two before you go, not the day before.
What can I check myself?
Do these on a cool engine, parked on flat ground.
1. Tyres (the big one)
- Tread: the legal minimum for a WOF is 1.5 mm across the main grooves, all the way round. Grip in the wet drops noticeably well before that, so if you're getting close, sort it before a long trip. How to check: How much tread do my tyres need to pass a WOF?
- Pressure: set them to the pressures on the sticker inside the driver's door or in the owner's manual. A loaded car often needs a higher figure, and the sticker usually says so.
- Damage: look for cuts, bulges or anything stuck in the tread.
- The spare: check it's there, it's inflated, and you know where the jack lives.
2. Fluids
- Engine oil: check the dipstick. It should sit between the marks.
- Coolant: check the level in the see-through overflow bottle. Never open the radiator cap on a hot engine.
- Washer fluid: fill it. Summer bugs on the windscreen are real.
- Brake fluid: check it's between the marks on the reservoir. If it's low, don't just top it up: get it looked at, because it can mean worn pads or a leak.
3. Lights and wipers
- Walk round with someone pressing the brakes and working the indicators.
- Check headlights on low and high beam.
- Wipers that smear or chatter are worth replacing before the first summer downpour finds them.
4. Dates
- Check your WOF and rego expiry on the windscreen or with NZTA's free online expiry check on nzta.govt.nz. Many cars moved to two-yearly WOFs on 1 November 2026, so the date may not be when you think.
What should a mechanic check before a long drive?
Some things need the car up on a hoist:
- Brakes: pad thickness, disc condition and brake fluid.
- Cooling system: hoses, radiator, cap and the drive belts. Summer traffic jams and hills north of Auckland are where a tired cooling system gives up.
- Battery: a test shows whether it's on its way out, before it decides to go at a beach car park.
- Suspension and steering: worth it if you're loading up the car or towing.
- Air con: a check, so the back seat stays civil.
- Engine management scan: to catch faults that haven't lit a warning light yet.
Our Platinum service covers all of these. See what's included.
What if a warning light comes on during the trip?
Red lights, especially oil pressure or engine temperature, mean pull over when it's safe and switch off. Amber lights mean get it checked soon. If the engine light is flashing, ease off and get help. More in What do the dashboard warning lights mean?
When should I book a pre-holiday check?
Early. December fills up in every workshop, and ours only has two bays. Book at least a week or two before you leave, so there's time to sort anything we find without rushing.
Over Christmas and New Year we keep our normal hours, and we're closed on the public holidays.
Quick questions
Do I need a full service before a road trip?
Not always. If your car's service is due within a month or two, do it before you go. If it was serviced recently, the driveway checks above plus a quick look at the tyres and brakes may be enough. Ask us.
I'm towing a caravan or boat. Anything extra?
Check the trailer's tyres, lights, bearings and WOF too, and set the car's tyre pressures for the load. Your owner's manual has the towing limits for your car.
Can you check my car the same day?
Call us and we'll tell you honestly what we can fit in.
Pre-holiday car checks in Albany
Midas Albany, 3C Saturn Place, Albany. Family owned since 2004, MTA Assured, NZTA-authorised WOF site (WOF $79.99). The price is agreed before any work starts.
Call Robin on 09 415 6595, book online, or request a callback. Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4:30pm, Saturday 8am to 12pm.
Written by the Midas Albany team.