5 Signs Your Car Needs a Mechanic Before a Trip

A long drive — Tbilisi to Batumi, up to Kutaisi, over a mountain pass — puts hours of steady strain on a car that daily city traffic never does. Problems that are minor around town can turn into a roadside call for a tow truck once you're two hours from the nearest garage.

• A dashboard warning light you've been ignoring — don't put off a check-engine or oil-pressure light until after a long highway drive.
• A steering wheel that pulls to one side — often alignment or uneven tire wear, and it gets more noticeable, not less, at highway speed.
• A burning or sweet smell, even after short drives — can point to a brake or coolant leak that's easy to miss around town.
• Squealing or grinding when you brake — worn pads shouldn't be left for a long mountain descent.
• A battery that struggled to start even once this month — better to replace it before the trip than at an empty gas station on a mountain road.

A pre-trip check at a verified garage usually costs far less than a single lost travel day. It's worth booking one a few days before you leave, not the morning of.