Essential Checks before a Long Car Journey
If you’re heading out onto the road for a long trip, whether it’s for personal or business reasons, you’ll want to make sure that your car is fit for the job – whether you’ve picked it up used or new. By taking a few small steps, you’ll help to minimise your risk of suffering a breakdown or a collision. What’s more, you’ll help to extend the life of your vehicle, too.
Let’s take a look at a few of the essential checks to make before you set out.
Check the Tyre Pressure
Improperly inflated tyres will accelerate wear and tear, and have a negative impact on the car’s performance. Too much pressure and they’ll bulge in the middle, too little and they’ll sag. By keeping your tyres at the appropriate pressure, you’ll ensure that your car is able to properly grip the road, and keep your fuel economy respectable.
Wipers and Screen Wash
If you run out of screen wash halfway through the trip, then you’ll have trouble shifting the dirt and grime that might have built on your windscreen. During freezing conditions, screen-wash won’t freeze in the same way that water does. You might need to vary the mixture depending on the time of year. Check the bottle for specific instructions.
Oil Level
The oil in your engine serves a range of purposes. It’ll reduce friction, and thereby prevent wear and tear. It’ll help to distribute heat around the engine, reducing hot-spots. The numbers you get on a bottle of oil refer to the oil’s viscosity at different temperatures. Check your car’s manual to find out what kind of oil you should be using. Use the dipstick, or the onboard computer, to determine how much you need to add. Too much oil is as bad as too little.
Lights
If your lights go out, then you’ll be driving illegally. What’s more, you might not realise they’re out until darkness descends – at which point you might have serious problems with visibility. While you can pick up replacements along the way, it’s something that you don’t want to have to stress over during the trip. Check all the lights before you set out – including rear brake lights.
Engine Coolant
Many newer cars come with a fully-enclosed cooling system that never needs to be supplemented. Older ones come with a little reservoir you can top up as required. You can check the level easily, as the reservoir is often transparent.
