The Sunday News
Lovert Mafukure
The festive season is upon us and many of us will be doing a lot of travelling and we all want to go and come back in one piece with no problems.
This week I will share with you some tips on how you can prepare your car for those long trips. Some of them are so basic but they can be the very reason you may not get to where you are going.
The battery is essential as it is your car’s sole power source. Check that you have enough electrolyte solution in the battery and that all the cells are covered and not exposed. Check for leaks on your battery and clear it of all corrosive compounds that build up on the terminals. These compounds can cause serious power transfer problems, which many lead to ignition and charging problems. You do not need these on that long trip especially if you have a car with an automatic transmission.
You would also need to check the condition of all your drive-belts or belt. Some cars have one and some have two drive belts that drive the accessories on the car such as the alternator, power steering pump and aircon compressor. These can snap after a while without warning and if your one goes out and you are in faraway places you will never get home especially with the alternator not running so always be on the lookout for these drive-belts, replace them when you should. The timing belt is of paramount importance because if it snaps, serious engine damage can result. You may have nothing more to worry about besides being stuck in the middle of nowhere.
The last thing anybody wants is a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. It so happened to me at one time that my little trusted vehicular friend started overheating when I had travelled some 60km out of town with a good 300km left to get to my destination. The rest as they say is history as I had to be stopping for the better part of the journey to let the engine cool down while pouring huge amounts of water into the radiator. Had I been a little more careful I would have realised the problem before travelling. Now what I learnt that day is that your car can perform well like a charm with all the short journeys like going to buy bread and getting into town here and there. The moment you expose it to highway speeds and heat life may change very quickly, so be on the look out.
The best way to check your cooling system therefore is not just before the journey but on a daily basis. It is good to have a good sense of the coolant level. Make sure you are not losing coolant or that may be a sign of a bigger problem. If you open the radiator cap when the engine is running, water should not be pushed out of the radiator or have many bubbles. That may be a sign of a head gasket leak. Be careful never to open the radiator cap when the engine is still hot as you may get serious burns from the hot pressurised coolant. Another thing to check for is stiff radiator hoses. The pressure in the cooling system should not be excessive to the point of having very stiff, swelling hoses. These can eventually give in and burst and you do not want that to happen when you are 637km away from home.
It is wise to check all fluids in the engine bay, from engine oil, transmission oil, coolant, brake fluid, washer fluid etc. Engine oil needs to be clean, black engine oil should be drained and topped up with clean oil. A new oil filter should always go with every oil change. Its always good to monitor the oil consumption. As engines get older they start consuming more oil. If your oil consumption has risen over the years, always keep an extra pint of oil for those long journeys, you will thank yourself for it.
Suspension checks — It goes without saying that you need to check the condition of your tyres before you even dream of a short journey, let alone a long one. All suspension components need to be checked as well and if you are not that tech savvy, take your car in for a check by the professionals. Worn out suspension components need to be replaced or you won’t have the proper stability on the road. Be on the lookout for steering vibrations and noises. Always have your suspension checked and replace worn components.
Till next time – Happy Motoring.
@lovert116 – Automart Used Spares Centre – Quality Used Japanese Spares -+263772339938 [email protected]/ Facebook: @automartusc
