Today’s busy lifestyle everyone needs a day out and rest from regular life. So most of the people plan there weekend for a road trip, which means thousands of people will take highways to get to their favourite Holiday Destination. And the first thing you have to do is, you need to prepare your vehicle.
Don’t Know How to prepare your Car for Long Road
Then this Blog is only for you!!
One of the Ford Technician, who works many years in Automobile Industry advised, anybody who wants peace of mind before they travel during Holidays or weekends should have undergone a thorough safety inspection.
So, this is all you need to check before you start your road trip!
1) Fluids
You have to check the fluid level first, as it is one of the main concern motorists need to be aware. You might have a little leak somewhere if your coolant & oil levels are low.
Your car is not safe to drive if the brake fluid level is too low.
2) Lights
You want to be sure that all of your car’s light is working properly-especially when you are unfamiliar with the region. This is the simplest but most important test. Older brake light globes blow regularly because this is a globe that you are using constantly as it switches on and off under braking.
3) Wipers
This is also a simple test, wipers used for the clearing the water from the windscreen, or they leaving lines of water that impair your vision? Before setting out on your road trip, use the windscreen washers to spray your windscreen and then check if the wipers are doing their job.
4) Wheels and Tyres
Tires are the most important part of your vehicle. They are what connects your vehicle to the road, and if you are driving for hours at a time, they need to be in tip-top shape.
Firstly we will look at the tread depth. Most tires have tread depth indicators, and once the tire is worn to that point, it needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Check the surface of the tire for any notable damage, infections, and looks for bubbles.
It is important to check tire pressure regularly, even if they are not on the road trip. It will wear in the middle of the tire if the tyre is overinflated. It will be on the side or edge if it is underinflated.
5) Brake pads
Brake Pads are also an important component you need to check. The brake pads are made up of a metal part and composite inner part. The composite inner part needs to be above 5mm thick, once the pad wears down below this then you need to replace brake pads.
Also, make sure your handbrake is working correctly.
6) Leaks
It is a good idea to check for any leaks from various components of your car. If you see some oil spots or coolant, which has shiny texture and looks similar to oil, on the floor of your garage, have your vehicle checked by a technician.
7) Drive belts
Before going to long Trip, Examine the drive belt for any cracks.
If your drive belt is damaged or worn out, you may have a total engine shutdown.
You will not able to charge the battery, and your vehicle will start overheating because the water pump is run by the belt.
8) Spare wheel
This is also a simple check that you can do yourself before going to any long journey is checking to see if your spare tyre, the jack, and spanner, are all present in your vehicle and are working properly or not?
Make sure that your wheel has properly inflated tyre on it.
9) Steering
Qualified technicians can pick up the certain concern that the everyday driver may miss.
Things such as engine sounds, vibrations, and suspension.
For steering check, we will take the vehicle on the road and see whether the steering pulls in a certain direction- if the vehicle veers to the left or the right.
This could indicate a wheel alignment problem, If this is present, we will raise the vehicle and check the wheels again or other components, such as steering rack.
10) Brakes and clutch
We checked brake pads when the car is stationary, it is important to evaluate how your car reacts to braking while driving- whether it pulls to either side or braking.
It is totally unsafe to drive a vehicle that can not be controlled under braking.
