Prepare your vehicle. There are four fundamental things to be sure of before you leave: tire pressures, oil, coolant and brake fluid. Most everything else can be inspected en route, but check these before rolling away.
Your tire pressures should be checked when the tires are still cold (recommended pressures will be printed in the vehicles handbook, or on a sticker in the door jamb). Once you’re rolling, the tires will heat up and the air inside them will expand and give an incorrectly high reading. You want them to be at their recommended pressures in order to maximize their life, the handling of your vehicle, and your fuel consumption.
Your oil level should be checked before leaving because it’s the simplest and most basic way to ensure the vehicle is properly maintained. If you find the level is down, top it up and take the rest of the oil container with you, as you may have to top up again.
Check the coolant level before the car starts running, because it’s a lot more pleasant to top it up when the engines cold than when its hot. And if you let it get too hot, the engine can be severely damaged. The same goes for checking the level of brake fluid in the reservoir, which can be done by sight but is too important to not monitor regularly.
Avoid getting your vehicle serviced before immediately starting out. Try to drive locally for a day or two to be sure that everything was tightened and replaced properly. There are too many tales of loose nuts and broken wires to be ignored.
0comments:
Post a Comment