Planning a long drive, whether visiting family in Germany, heading to the coast, or going on a ski trip, and you do not want the car to break down halfway there with the family and suitcases inside. Most roadside breakdowns have the same backstory: something was already on the edge, but nobody checked before departure. A proper inspection does not take long, but you need to split it into steps because some things cannot be sorted out the day before.
A week ahead: service, tires, brakes
These are items that require action and cannot be handled at the last minute.
Service, if the interval is close. Check the sticker on the windshield or your service booklet. If you are within 1,000-2,000 km of the next oil change, get it done before the trip. It is far better to change the oil and filters at a workshop in Banja Luka than to hunt for a garage in an unfamiliar city. If the mileage is nowhere near the interval, skip this step. For a detailed breakdown of what a basic service includes, see the dedicated guide.
Tires: DOT, tread, spare. Check the DOT code on the sidewall of each tire. The last four digits (e.g. 2221) indicate the week and year of manufacture. A tire older than 5-6 years, even with adequate tread, loses elasticity and grips worse in corners and on wet roads. Tread depth should be at least 3 mm for a long trip, not the legal 1.6 mm, because at highway speeds in rain the difference is enormous. Check the spare tire too, along with the jack and wheel wrench. If you have a repair kit instead of a spare, check the expiry date on the sealant.
Brakes. If in the days before the trip you notice squealing, pedal vibrations, or the car pulling to one side under braking, that must be inspected. Worn pads or warped discs on a long trip, especially through mountains (Slovenia, Montenegro, Austria), mean a dangerous loss of braking power. A week before departure is enough time for a mechanic to replace pads or discs if needed.
A day or two before: fluids, lights, pressure
These are quick checks you can do yourself in the driveway.
- Engine oil. Pull the dipstick, wipe it, reinsert and pull again. The level should be between the min and max marks. If it is near the minimum, top up with oil of the same specification.
- Coolant (antifreeze). Read the level on the translucent reservoir next to the engine, with the engine cold. Never open the cooling system cap while the engine is hot.
- Brake fluid. The level is visible on the translucent reservoir. If it is low, that usually means the brake pads are worn, which takes you back to the step above.
- Windshield washer fluid. Sounds trivial, but when a truck splashes your windshield on the highway, a clean wiper without fluid just smears the dirt and drastically cuts visibility.
- Tire pressure, including the spare. Check on cold tires, before driving. The correct pressure is listed on the sticker on the driver's door jamb. The spare often sits for years without being checked and tends to be completely flat when you actually need it.
- Lights and signals. Turn on low beams, high beams, fog lights, indicators, and brake lights. For the brake lights, ask someone to press the pedal while you check from behind. A burned-out bulb takes five minutes to replace, and at a border crossing or a roadside check it can cause an unnecessary hassle.
- Wipers. A worn wiper blade leaves streaks on the glass and drastically reduces visibility at night in the rain. If the rubber is leaving marks or skipping, replace the blades before the trip. It is a job that takes a few minutes.
- Air conditioning or heating. Test the AC (in summer) or heating (in winter) before you leave, not for the first time on the highway. If the AC is not cooling well or the heater is not warming the cabin, check our guides on summer or winter car preparation.
Documents and mandatory equipment
Depending on where you are going, this can save you a fine or a complication at the border.
If you are leaving BiH, check that your registration is valid for the entire duration of the trip and that you have a green card (international insurance certificate). The green card is issued by your insurance company and is typically valid for 15 or 30 days.
For mandatory equipment, rules vary by country, but a safe set for most Balkan and European destinations includes: a warning triangle, a reflective vest (in some countries one per passenger), a first aid kit with a valid expiry date, and a fire extinguisher. If you are heading to Slovenia or Austria, do not forget the vignette. In Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia tolls are paid at toll booths.
On departure day and during the drive
Fuel. Start with a full tank. Fuel at highway stations is more expensive, and in some parts of Montenegro or eastern Serbia stations can be scarce.
Navigation. If you use your phone for navigation, make sure you have a charger and a phone mount. Holding your phone while driving is punishable in every country in the region.
Breaks. Take a break of at least fifteen minutes every 2-3 hours of driving. Fatigue causes a large number of highway accidents, and a tired driver reacts just as slowly as an intoxicated one.
If a warning light comes on during the trip. Check engine, temperature, oil, battery. If a dashboard light comes on while driving, do not ignore it and do not press on for hundreds of kilometres to your destination. Pull over as soon as it is safe, turn off the engine, and assess the situation. For details on what each warning light means and whether you can keep driving, read the check engine light guide.
A note for diesel vehicles
If you drive a diesel, a long highway trip is actually good news for the DPF (diesel particulate filter). The DPF regenerates at higher RPMs and steady speed, which is exactly what the highway provides. Vehicles used mostly in city traffic often develop DPF problems because they never drive long enough on open stretches for the filter to clean itself. If the DPF light has been flickering occasionally in the city, a long trip may be exactly what the engine needed. However, if the light is on constantly, run a diagnostic before departure. Do not risk a complete DPF blockage hundreds of kilometres from home.
Preparing for a long trip does not take much time, but it does take a system. If you are unsure about the state of the car or simply prefer to have a mechanic check everything, come in for a pre-trip service a week ahead. Better half an hour at the workshop than eight hours waiting for roadside assistance. If it suits you, book an appointment online and we will arrange a day that works for you.