BIG Cavalier Road Trip

Hello Everyone!

I'm going to making a 10,000km road trip from Toronto to Vancouver and back in the coming months. Wondering if you could foresee any problems for my car.

I have a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier. It has 180,000km on it. I have not had any major problems with it so far and have only had to replace the alternator and exhaust.

What kind of problems could I expect?

Are you by chance coming home from college for the summer? If so you're car will likely be loaded to the brim with your shi..errr, stuff. Make sure the suspension is up to par for this heavy hauling, and don't go over the vehicle's GVWR marked on the driver's door.

Your trip will also involve going up and over steep mountain passes (aka the Canadian Rockies). All this will put a strain on the engine and transmission. Have the fluids changed (oil, transmission, coolant, brake) before you set out if they are close to changing time in your manual. Use a good quality brand. Do not opt for oil or tranny fluid flushes! Especially the transmission! But do bleed the old fluid out of the brake lines and a coolant flush can help remove rust build-up in the radiator.

Speaking of brakes, check that they are in good condition...important when you go down the side of the mountain with a loaded car. If the steering wheel shakes when you brake, the rotors need to be resurfaced and the brakes checked for sticking calipers.

Have the wheels aligned and balanced...a smooth ride without fighting the steering wheel makes a long trip much more enjoyable. Also check the tires have good tread and aren't too old...don't forget the spare!

Don't expect to be flying up and over the mountains with a loaded down car. Going hammer down only makes gas mileage suffer. But give the car a good tune-up with clean/new spark plugs, wires, cap, and rotor...and maybe ignition coil if it is the original one. This will help maximize performance and reliability. Also change out the serpentine belts.

Finally, find room in all that shi...stuff for an emergency kit, including a tire patch kit and mini-air compressor.

I think I got all the important stuff, but hopefully others will chime in to fill the gaps. Enjoy the trip!

Thank you very much for your detailed reply jdmccright! I'm glad the repairs you have suggested are relatively inexpensive.

I do definitely need an alignment which I have been putting off for more than a year now. I must constantly overcompensate on the steering wheel by steering left to go straight. The wear this does on my tires is terrible.

I am not actually making this trip from school, I live about 200km from school so that trip is not too bad, especially with a couple reliable friends with trucks. I am making the trip with my girlfriend as kind of a thank God I'm finally done school trip.

Thanks again! Any other comments from anyone would surely help!