I-95 Summer Driving

[jjsmom]

We're driving from MD to WDW July 17-24. Does anyone know if there's anything special we need to to do/or have checked on the car before we leave? We have an SUV with 45,000 mi on it.

I took it in to have something fixed this week and asked the mechanic to check it out for the 2000 mile round trip in the heat and at speeds of 70-80 mph. He said everything was just fine. We have AAA so that makes me feel a little better.

The last summer drive to WDW was 1st week of June '01 and it was chilly & rainy (until we got to FL, anyway) so this wasn't an issue.

Sorry if all this sounds silly, I'm really stressed over this.

 

[WDW4KIDS]

The Belts and hoses are items that wear badly with Northern driving.As long as the belts and hoses are OK my only other suggestion would be bottled water in case you do break down.Even in today's modern age with cell phones it could be a few hours wait for help.Have a great trip

 

[Uncleromulus]

We took a Nissan with 65,000 miles on it down to WDW in the summer a few trips back--no problem at all.
Since mechanic has given it the once-over, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Whether the vehicle has 2,000, 20,000 or 200,000 miles on it, one could have a problem driving. However, for the normal drive to WDW from the northeast, the best thing to do is make sure the belts and hoses are in good working order, that the tires are balanced and have good tread and that the alignment is ok.

And, not only for Florida conditions but for summer driving in general, a check of the AC system is a good idea. And, making sure that the fuel filter has been changed according to manufacturer's instructions is also a good idea. Another idtem that many people forget is to check the water level in the battery. Even though many batteries advertise maintenance free, the water in the cells can be below required levels. One other item that is often overlooked is the radiator, which should be flushed every three years or 36,000 miles, according to manufacturer's instructions.

Here is a link from the AAA, that may of interest: http://www.aaasouth.com/previous_issues/may_jun_02/cararticle.asp

Otherwise, have fun in WDW.

 

[JudithM]

The comment about bringing water in case you break down reminds me of our drive south on I95 last month. A guy was at the rest stop sititng in his truck with the hood open. My husband asked if he needed help. English was not his first language, but we managed to make a temporary fix on a hose. I had a large plastic container with snacks. I dumped the snacks into a bag & used the container to get water to refill the radiator.