Pre-Trip Maintenance Questions

[mrnine]

Getting ready to travel in a week from Ohio to NYC, then drive up to Maine and ferry to Nova Scotia, loop up to Price Edward Island through Halifax and back to OH. It'll be like 2,500ish miles. I bought my 318ti in March in Texas and drove it back so it's no stranger to long trips.

I'm at 98k miles. I've just changed oil today and am changing fuel filter and coolant tomorrow. Spark plugs were done 6k ago, and manual transmission and rear diff fluid are fresh. Brakes have gotten new pads and rotors recently and fluid flushed. Microfilters are pretty new too.

1) Is there anything else I sound consider servicing or at least inspecting before I take off?

2) I'm showing 4 green lights on my service indicator; should I be concerned?

Could this be indicating oxygen sensors, which should be right around the corner? Or is there no way to know without a code reader? Should I replace o2 sensors before I leave just to be safe?

Car seems to run great and gets 35mpg when I'm "nice."

Thanks!

[1996 328ti]

Have fun. I drove from NYC to New Brunswick. Ferry to Nova Scotia. Ferry to PIE. Back to New Brunswick and home. Go to PIE if you can. There is a bridge from NB to PIE but I'd take the ferry if you could.

The ferry can be pretty rough.

Don't worry about the car. The only thing I might check are the belts and hoses.

[318tibimmer]

Dont' worry about the lights, they just show when you should change your oil - Acording to BMW. If you have all that done I wouldn't worry about your trip.

[brucelee]

Ditto belts and hoses.

Did you use synthetic oil. I would, mobil one 15-50W.

A/c Coolant charge OK? Visually inspect tires and check pressure. Check spare tire and repair tools.

Extra set of tools for emergencies. Perhaps a small jump pack and compressor unit. About 55 bucks at Costco.

Battery OK?

Have a nice trip.

[mrnine]

Been using Amsoil full synthetic, yes. Battery is good.

How do I check my a/c?

[1996 328ti]

Getting in the car today I thought about windshield wipers.
I change them every 36K miles now.

[brucelee]

Been using Amsoil full synthetic, yes. Battery is good.

How do I check my a/c?

The only way I know is take it to a A/C shop. They can tell you in about 5 minutes.

I ran out of freon on my last trip across country. I was in Texas and it was 105 plus. It was sick.

Worst 5 hours I ever spent.

Good luck!

[tastade]

Check all belts and fluids. Typically what leaves someone stranded is the car overheating from a broken belt or lack of coolant, or a flat tire. Check your spare and all tire pressures. You might cary an extra quart of your favorite oil with you as well. Vehicles tend to use the oil a little faster during long highway trips.

I just got back from a 2000 mile trip from IA to GA with no problems, I think my AC compressor might be starting to fail or the belt is slipping. I have been hearing some funny noises from it when the AC is on. Otherwise the car ran great, getting about 31 mpg, averaging about 70 mph with the AC on the whole way.

The green lights on the service indicator are how far until the next service. I think they average roughly 1-2k miles per light depending on how you drive. So every 1-2k miles you will see another light turn off, after there are no green lights, it will say you need a service.

Getting ready to travel in a week from Ohio to NYC, then drive up to Maine and ferry to Nova Scotia, loop up to Price Edward Island through Halifax and back to OH. It'll be like 2,500ish miles. I bought my 318ti in March in Texas and drove it back so it's no stranger to long trips.

I'm at 98k miles. I've just changed oil today and am changing fuel filter and coolant tomorrow. Spark plugs were done 6k ago, and manual transmission and rear diff fluid are fresh. Brakes have gotten new pads and rotors recently and fluid flushed. Microfilters are pretty new too.

1) Is there anything else I sound consider servicing or at least inspecting before I take off?

2) I'm showing 4 green lights on my service indicator; should I be concerned?

Could this be indicating oxygen sensors, which should be right around the corner? Or is there no way to know without a code reader? Should I replace o2 sensors before I leave just to be safe?

Car seems to run great and gets 35mpg when I'm "nice."

Thanks!

[96cali]

How do I check my a/c?

I know in my old Acura there was a small glass window in a brass fitting near the AC compressor. While the engine was running I could look at the window. If I saw bubbles, it was low on freon.

LOL, that must have been a while ago cuz for the last 6 years of it's life it couldn't hold freon and the heater/mixer box in the dash was set to warm. Made for some toasty commutes home in summer. :P

[mrnine]

I realize my decision is overkill, but...

I decided "Why not have belts/hoses on hand just in case they go out? They'll go out someday regardless." So I proceeded to buy some "peace of mind" from Pelican Parts to have in the car with me for the trip:

- Belt for Alternator, Water Pump and Power Steering
- A/C Belt
- Upper Radiator Hose
- Lower Radiator Hose

But then I got carried away...

- Thermostat with Housing
- Thermostat O-Ring
- Oil Drain Plug
- Radiator Drain Plug
- Differential Drain Plug

Again, it's overkill, but $65 just seemed too good to resist. Better safe than sorry, right?

P.S. I found Pelican particularly cheap for this lineup of parts. Kudos to Pelican!