Car trouble on your summer vacation is more than just a repair bill . It can mean towing charges, accomodations and a rental car. When you consider the cost of extra phone calls, meals and general annoyance, your vacation can turn into a budget-buster. Most breakdowns can be avoided with a pre-vacation inspection by yourself or a qualified service technician.

So before packing, set aside the time to make sure your car is ready. 15 minutes of preventative maintenance in your driveway just may eliminate hours of aggravating on-the-road problems. Follow these 5 steps and you'll start your trip right.

(1) Fluids:
Check all your vehicle's fluid levels. This would be engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and windshield washer fluid. Most cars have transparent reservoir tanks so you may not even need to get your hands dirty. Check the owners' manual for procedures for checking and adding fluids. When you check the brake fluid level, look at the fluid color. You want it to be clear or light amber. If it's dark and cloudy, you've got contaminated brake fluid, and it should be replaced and the brake system flushed.

(2) Belts and Hoses:
All drive belts and hoses should be checked for signs of wear and deterioration. Replace any belt that's frayed, cracked or has chunks missing. With the engine cold, look at all the hoses for leaks, cracks, or swelling. Replace as neccessary.

(3) Battery:
One of the biggest culprits is the battery when it comes to vacation stoppers. Make sure the electrolyte fluid is at the proper level. Remove battery caps and look inside- the level should be above the battery plates. If your battery is more than four or five years old, consider replacing it for an even more worry-free trip.

Also, ensure that battery terminals and cables are clean and firmly attached to the terminals. If the terminals and cables are covered with "snow", remove the cables from the battery and thoroughly clean the cables and terminals.

(4) Cooling system:
Continual highway driving and hot summer days combined put a big load on the engine cooling system. How many times have you passed some poor guy on the side of the road with the hood up and steam coming out of the radiator? If your radiator has regular green anti-freeze which hasn't been changed for two years, now is the time to do it. If it has extended life anti-freeze go check the recommended change intervals and if the mileage will be reached during the trip, change it now.

(5) Air-conditioning: Make sure your air conditioning is working well. Run it for a while in each of its modes, checking that the airflow is coming from all vents. If the system takes an unreasonably long time to cool the inside of the car, or the air just doesn't get cold enough, odds are the system needs to be checked for leaks and recharged.

While following this list of checks, be aware of more generalized warning signs as well. Ticking, clunking or knocking noises, a sudden vibration or shimmy, or anything out of the ordinary is probably a symptom of a hidden problem that should be checked before hitting the road.

No matter how thorough your pre-trip preparations, unexpected problems still occur. That's why it's a good idea to have a basic road-kit onboard if something should happen. Jumper cables, flares, a pre-paid cell phone, spare anti-freeze, a gallon of water, three quarts of oil, and some hand tools are all great to have. You can buy a ready-made emergency kit or make up one your own.

While no inspection can absolutely guarantee your car's performance, it is sure comforting to know all the precautions that were taken. Now you are as ready as you can be, enjoy your vacation and relax.

D.Demetre is an author and webmaster at Caroom, where you can find Car Accessories to help in your summer vehicle preparation.