Planning a road trip for the festive season? Here's how you can prepare your car
- A comprehensive guide and checklist on how you should prepare your car before setting out on a long distance road trip.
The festive season is right around the corner, and in the middle of everyone’s hectic schedules, there are no better ways of celebrating with your family and friends than going for a long distance road trip by car. Amidst the excitement of planning the trip however, it is crucial to remember to prepare your car for the long journey ahead. While Indian roads can present a pandora’s box of challenges, a poorly prepared car that is running behind on checks and services can ruin the entire trip.
Your car is the most important part of a road trip, second to having fun of course, and it is essential to pay close attention and look after your vehicle in the weeks leading up to the trip. Failing to conduct proper checks and servicing for your car can disrupt your journey and lead to a host of problems. An overheating engine, faulty brakes, unusually poor mileage, and electrical malfunctions are among the list of issues that you may run into during your trip if you have not taken the time to check your car’s components.
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These issues, if and when they pop up, can be inconvenient at best but fatal at their worst. To this end, we have come up with a checklist and guide for you to follow when preparing your car for your much-awaited long distance trip:
Before you take off, you must be able to trust in the car’s ability to come to a stop. Brakes are one of the more important components that need to be heavily scrutinised till the moment you and your companions set off for the trip. You need to take the time out and ensure that your brakes are responsive by testing them out on an empty street. Check for unusual noises, vibrations when hitting the brakes, and whether the brakes are pulling to one side or the other. If brake pedals feel spongy, it could indicate a number of issues ranging from air pockets within the brake lines to leaking disc callipers.
Air and oil filters are often overlooked by owners when doing a check-up of their car and these are crucial to the car’s performance and mileage. A clogged or dirty air filter can restrict airflow into the engine’s combustion chamber, thereby reducing power output. To do this, all you need in hand is a new air filter and a screwdriver; gloves are optional. Locate what looks like a black plastic box with an air duct connected to it, leading to the throttle body – this is the air filter housing. Use the screwdriver, if needed, to open it and take out the filter. If necessary, use a vacuum cleaner to get any residual dirt out of the housing and install the new filter in the same orientation as that of the old one.
Tyres are the name of the game when it comes to long distance car trips. It is of no surprise that most motorsport strategies revolve heavily around tyres. This is especially true for Formula One where the average distance covered by a single car can amount to over 300 km, causing heavy wear and damage. When professionals pay so much attention to such a component, so should you. Start by paying attention to your tyres at least a week before the actual trip and then once again right before you set off.
Check your tyres for uneven tread, wear, or damage. At times, seemingly invisible and sharp pieces of debris get lodged in your tyres. This can leak air gradually and be completely unnoticeable until at a point when it is too late. Ensure to check the air pressure and get it adjusted to meet the OEM-recommended figure. Go to a service centre and get your wheel alignment looked at. Poorly aligned wheels can reduce vehicle stability, pull the steering wheel to one side, and even hamper mileage due to the uneven tyre wear it causes.
Appropriate engine fluid levels are essential in ensuring proper performance and mileage out of the car. Low fluid levels can lead to overheating and increased friction between engine components, and this will eventually lead to engine damage and failure. Checking for leaks or discolouration can help in identifying problems before they start to escalate, and as such, it is important to start checking on your car’s engine fluids as early as possible. This will further ensure that you do not have to make extra stops along the way to do a quick top-up.
If you have not taken your car through an oil change, get it done as soon as possible to prevent engine breakdowns and poor mileage. Oil is necessary for lubricating engine components and ensuring that the combustion process goes smoothly. In most cases, any concerns with engine fluids is best diverted to an experienced professional who can take apart the issue and get to the core of the problem with ease.
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A battery that functions well is the key to a smooth driving experience because issues with electronics are the hardest to work on and are often the most annoying. In order to ensure that your car’s battery is in the perfect condition for a long trip, you need to start by checking for corrosion on the battery terminals and cleaning them if needed. To inspect the battery’s functioning, start by turning each electrical component on and off, including the headlights, taillights, turn signals and hazard lights, interior lights, defogger, and so on.
Try and check for signs of a failing alternator. This component bridges the battery to the engine of the car and keeps the battery charged with rotational energy generated from the engine. An unpleasant smell of burning rubber or wires can indicate that parts of the alternator have started to wear out. To test for alternator problems, try jumpstarting your car to see how it behaves. If it dies down soon after taking off the jumper cables, it could indicate that the alternator is not able to efficiently supply the battery.
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