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KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI -- Before you pack up your bags and frolic out of town on your holiday get-away, you might want to do a quick, pre-trip inspection first.

To avoid a "turkey" of a holiday-weekend, the Car Care Council recommends taking 10 quick minutes to insure your car will not have any issues on your journey; a minor inconvenience compared to breaking down miles from home on your holiday.

"Obviously you need to check your belts and hoses," said Jeremy Chaumont, of Tires and Tailpipes. "Make sure none of your hoses are swelled or cracked; they're all in good shape. Make sure your belt's not cracked because you don't want to lose a belt and be stranded on the side of the road."

The Car Care Council also recommends checking all of your fluids, including the engine oil, power steering, brake and transmission fluids, as well as your windshield washer solvent and antifreeze and coolent. "Make sure the coolant level is full," said Chaumont. "If it's cruddy, flush it before it gets too late into winter."

Also, check your lighting; turn-signals, headlights, brights, dims, and breaklights. The chance of an accident increases if you cannot see or be seen. And, check your wipers. The Car Care Council recommends replacing blades every six-months.

"Generally, if you're going to go on a long trip, you need to check your tire-pressure; make sure that they're all what they need to be so you get the best gas mileage, or the best traction in cruddy weather," said Chaumont.

Special maintenance is also required for your car during the chilly, winter months. Always let your car heat up before driving.

"It's not a good idea just to start it up and take off down the road, but usually if your temperature gauge [is] hot enough to where you're actually blowing heat, you're probably in good shape, so just depending on the vehicle, 10 minutes or so would probably be good enough."

"A pre-trip inspection helps reduce the chance of costly and possibly dangerous on-the-road trouble," said Rich White, Executive Director of the Car Care Council. "It also provides an opportunity to have repairs done by one's own technician locally, who knows the vehicle. Especially important, it provides peace of mind. While no inspection can guarantee a car's performance, it's comforting to know proper precautions were taken to avoid a 'turkey' of a weekend."

If you do not feel competent doing these inspections yourself, just ask your local mechanic to help you out.

Take good care of your car and it will take good care of you.