Things to check before a long trip

[Adamparera]

Tyres

Check if the tyre treads are still good - there should be a minimum of between 2-3mm thread depth. A thread wear indicator is a raised part of the tread that will appear when the thread is reaching its minimum safe tread depth. On most cars the front tyres will wear out faster than the rear ones. If they have about 5,000km on them, it might be good to have them rotated with the rear tyres. Tyres should be rotated every 5,000 to 10,000km in order for all four tyres to wear evenly. Note: on some high-performance models, the rear tyres will be a different size to the front tyres. In this instance the tyres should never be swapped over. Always check that front and rear tyres are the same size before rotation.

 

Remember to check that the spare tyre is useable - it tends to be forgotten until it needs to be used - by which time it's too late. It should be under slightly more pressure than the other four tyres. The owner's manual should have the recommended pressures for each tyre, including the spare. Always set the tyre pressures when cold to ensure the correct inflation pressures.

Engine

Long distance driving is actually less taxing on an engine than stop and go city traffic. Even so, if it hasn't been serviced for a while, it would be wise to bring the car in for a check-up. Another thing to look out for might be the condition of the various rubber hoses - if they are soft and swollen, they should be changed before they burst.

 

Other things to look into are levels for coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid and the windscreen washer reservoir. If you are not mechanically familiar with your vehicle, the AA offers a comprehensive pre-trip vehicle inspection for you.

[Evilernie]

1) Important numbers to call during emergency.

2) Toolkit for simple repair.

3) Roadmap

 

Don't forget about your health..

 

[SZY]

good good very informative............

[Application9999]

one more thing to prepare before heading to bolehland.....prepare kopi money for those bloody sucker...

[SGCMcheongster]

Passport check. Don't carry too much cash in your wallet so when cops ask for kopi $ you show them you only have small notes else they will ask for the $50 extra.

[SGCMcheongster]

Passport check. Don't carry too much cash in your wallet so when cops ask for kopi $ you show them you only have small notes else they will ask for the $50 extra.

[Dumb]

I service my car at agent regularly at 3+ months interval. Whenever I drive up and usually for a week, I dont really bother checking my car except for the tyres and spare tyres.

[Fred86]

Anyone went genting with HONDA FIT?

[Ryanyusoff]

went up once in honda fit.no probs.

[Qr25vet]

make sure that all your beltings are in good condition...and not forgetting tensioners...esp for water pumps...make sure that the shaft has not slacked i.e to say that u're able to shake it (even if its just abit) with the belt removed cos failures can be quite catasrophic...esp when u're driving a RWD car...

[AvantEric]

First aid kit may come in handy. Just in case.

[TroyNyiNyi]

hi guys,

 

very informative for newbie like me.

 

thanks,

troy

[Dwoon]

hmmm.... like just asking car owners to bring car in to workshop for servicing & checks beofre long trips.... rather than what to do themselves leh...... I guess anyone with money to part with can easily do that..... but there's also no guarantee unless you're at those W/S that allow you to see what is being checked to ensure it is not skipped....

 

[Dwoon]

hmmm.... like just asking car owners to bring car in to workshop for servicing & checks before long trips.... rather than what to do themselves leh...... I guess anyone with money to part with can easily do that..... but there's also no guarantee unless you're at those W/S that allow you to see what is being checked to ensure it is not skipped....

 

[Subutai]

Check your car battery health and fluid level, change if necessary.

Bring your car charger kits for mobile phones.

Battery jumper cables.

 

Water (beverage?), sweets or something to munch to prevent dozing off behind the wheels.

Medicine for fever, flu, stomache upset, etc etc.

Mosqito repellent (patches or spray).

 

Steering wheel lock (can be used as weapon for self defense)

 

 

 

 

[Chiangauto]

if ppl still not sure their car condition,i would suggest you to send your car for checking.it would not cost you alot.

[Ryosuke]

going up north?

should get some 'tools' for self defence.

like those steel steering wheel lock, always place underneath your seat.

[Tseusus]

If going up in groups, walkie talkie is useful too