alrite ne answers to this questions would b great, im currently stationed in texas and im gettin ready to head home to Pennsylvania, which according to mapquest its 1575 miles away, first of all i knw its gonna b a long ride in my Z, but my main question is, does neone knw if there r goin to b ne problems im gonna need to take into consideration, i already plan on a complete tranny flush, oil change, and possibly changin all the radiator fluid and watnot, other then that, do u guys have other things i should look into before i hit the road in a month, ne suggestions would b greatly appreciated....03 Touring

 

1575 miles i guess id just change the oil depending on when u changed it last, and then i would just go

 

Normal maintenance is all that should be required.

 

Oil change, and if you have never ever done them a granny and antifreeze flush just for good measure.

Best advice would be just find a goodspeed and don't get on it...just a nice easy drive don't piush the car.

 

Agree. 1600 miles is a piece of cake. No need to go overboard with preparation. For consistent speeds of 70 MPH plus I run tires at 38 PSI.

I have always hated hot (July August) cross country driving. To beat the heat I drive at night and sleep in the day.

 

Davidv has the best idea. Try and drive at night. It's cooler so u won't have that possibility of overheating and less cars are on the road. I've drove 2,000 miles last year in my 97 maxima and I made it fine good luck and wear ur seat belt I don't want to read another RIP thread!!

 

You beat traffic too.

 

Look into a couple rolls of the widest painter's masking tape you can. The blue stuff.

Cover your bumper, and probably the first 1/4 or so of your hood and fenders with it. There won't be any adhesive left behind when you pull it off after you get to PA, and it'll not only protect your paint from rock chips, it'll also make bug removal exponentially easier.

 

If you're going to change any of your fluids I'd try and do it yourself. You'd hate to find out halfway through your trip that a mechanic left a drain plug out or something to that effect. I've known more than one person that this has happened to. I usually change my fluids after a long trip for this exact reason even though I change everything myself.

 

Radar detector, states and cities are short on revenue...

 

a companion to make it fun
a camera
make sure you stop along the way. enjoy it.

 

dont forget cds!
and +1 on the blue tape on front bumper. During the night you hit the most bugs.

 

Depends if your car has regular check ups. The regular maintenance and fluid changes others have mentioned are good, but also check your tires to make sure they are not wearing unevenly or worn past the indicators, no nails or anything of that sort that may come out and leave you with a flat.

 

check tire pressure and fluids.. i've drove to florida from nc, 1600 miles round trip with not one worry.. The Z is the most reliable car i've ever owned. 03 track w/ 136k miles

 

Just get the basics squared away, make sure all fluid levels are up and that the oil is fresh. Check the air filter and replace it if needed, just routine stuff that should be done anyway.

 

Hows your alignment? 1500 miles it really nothing

 

Did round trip Tucson to Monterey last August for tha Concours dElgance and will be doing it again this August. About half as long as your trip. Just had normal servicing before the trip. Had no problems. The car was a joy to drive. Seating was very comfortable. I drove for 3 hours between breaks with no major fatigue. Last year I brought along a bunch of talking books to keep me company. This year I am going with a friend so things should be easier.

 

+1 driving at night is great and has it's advantages but you miss out on the nice daytime scenery unless you don't care and just want to get there quick

 

Avoid night time driving if your normal schedule is being awake during daylight and sleeping at night. If this is the case you will be more alert during the daylight hours, and that is when you want to be driving. Night time driving inherently results in additional fatigue since you see ahead with less distance and face bright lights from oncoming vehicles.

If you have maintained your car properly, you don’t need to worry about a long distance drive. The Z is an exceptionally reliable car, so about all you need to do on this trip is checking your tires’ pressures and oil level when doing your gas stops. That will be once a day… about every 6 hours or so.

--Spike

 

What does the ambient air temperature have to do with this?

You are inside your climate-controlled/ air-conditioned Z where you don’t feel the outside temperature. Maybe keep the windows rolled-up?

Drive during the day when it's hot (and you can keep cool inside your Z), and spend the cool evenings at the hotel/motel/campground outside your car.

--Spike