During these school holidays, many of you will travel long distance on your car. So, after a few sleepless nights, I finally compiled several things you must check before travelling long distance.
1. Do some wheel alignment and wheel balancing
People always neglect these simple things but it can save your life. It can set back you a few hundred ringgit but this an important issue. Even a newly-bought car can have its wheels unaligned. Our Nissan Frontier had its wheel alignment and wheel balancing done yesterday and it costs RM 170. Still cheap, rather than repairing it when it is broken. As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”.
2. Service your car engine
You must regularly change the oil of the car after three months or 5000km. This oil lubricates the piston inside the engine and smoothes your journey. I advise you to use fully-synthetic oil as it is the best oil for your engine.
3. Check your tyres.
Check the air pressure of your tire and if it is a bit deflated, quickly pump it. This ensures a smooth journey and can save your fuel consumption. You must also check the tread of the tire. If the tire is “bold”, change it. The price of a single tire may vary according to model and size.
4. Check your car’s radiator.
Engine coolant is designed to protect your car radiator and cooling system all year round. Most of all, using radiator coolant helps to avoid engine overheating. Many different brands and varieties of engine coolant exist. Most have additives that are intended to protect your cooling system by preventing corrosion, lubricating, and increasing cooling efficiently. Check your engine coolant and when its level has dropped, refill it with some water and when it is empty, top up with some coolant. I advise you to use NASA coolant (RM8.90) as it is longer lasting.
5. Check all the lights.
When you drive during the night, a good lighting is needed. Check your lights. If it has malfunctioned, replaced it with an original spare part that can be obtained from your carmaker.
This is the end. Hope you enjoyed it.
