Tips for Trips - What You Should Do Before Hitting the Road
Prepare your car in advance for the environment and driving conditions you will encounter. Most manufacturers define “severe” driving conditions as one or more of the following:

• Driving at prolonged higher engine speeds
• Driving in extremely hot or below-freezing temperatures
• Driving in dusty or muddy conditions
• Driving in stop & go traffic
• Taking multiple trips averaging 5-10 miles in length

Follow the service intervals recommended for "severe" drivers in your car's owner's manual if you plan to experience any of these conditions during your trip.

Check the levels of all your car's vital fluids -- including motor oil, radiator fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield wiper fluid - and top-off or change them as needed. Motor oil, in particular, keeps the moving parts in your engine from grinding against each other and should be changed every three months or 3,000 miles.

Keep a gallon of distilled water in the trunk of your car. If your car starts to overheat, you can pour the water into the radiator to temporarily cool it down until you can get to a service station. But don't open the radiator cap until the car has cooled down. Hot fluid could spill out and cause serious skin damage. Have some spare fuses for lights etc.