Preparation for the sake of preparation should not escape monitoring, including some very important car checks. One of those preparations is the preparation to gather with relatives. Whether it’s in the city to across the island. Christmas is one of the moments and occasions where many people, especially those who embrace Christianity, celebrate their religious holidays. Various kinds of preparations are usually made before Christmas and after.
For those of you who are planning to take a car for long trips, for example to gather with your family or traveling to tourist attractions, there is important information here. Apart from physical preparation (for those who drive), you are also required to check the car in several parts. So, here are 15 important things that you should check before you go on a long trip.
Air radiator
The first car check is in the radiator water section. Make sure the radiator water is full and the water reservoir is up to the level limit, it doesn’t need to be too full. Also check the condition of the radiator hose and the connecting hose to the reservoir.
If when you find a hose that is bubbling or cracked when checking the car, replace it immediately to avoid the hose breaking in the middle of the road. Also make sure that the hose connections to the engine and to the radiator are tight enough and don’t leak.
Machine Oil
The third check is in the engine oil section. Make sure the engine oil has sufficient volume. The way to check the volume of engine oil is to check the level on the oil stick.
The oil level must be on the line between the L and F marks, and it should be slightly below the F level line. If it is lacking, or it is dirty, it would be a good idea for a friend to take your car to a service place for oil replacement maintenance.
Cooling fan rotation or AC and
This component is often overlooked when checking, yes the cooling fan. To find out whether the engine cooling by the engine fan is running normally, pay attention to the temperature pointer pointer.
If it exceeds the center line, it means the engine is hot enough but still safe. But if more than half should stop and wait until the car engine is cold then check the condition of the cooling water and fan.
Timing Belts
The next check is in the timing belt section. Replacement of the timing belt is based on the kilometer mileage indicator on the speedometer. If the timing belt has been used for 50,000 km, you should immediately replace it with a new one even if there is no damage yet.
Brake
Friends already know that checking in the braking section is very important. The main safety feature on a car is actually not airbags or other advanced features, you know, but brakes.
Therefore always check the brake fluid level. If it is reduced from the minimum level limit, it is necessary to suspect the possibility of a leak. Check the brake system for visible leaks in the hoses and brake master.
Battery
A battery or accumulator is the main power source for turning on the electricity. You can check in this section by checking the battery pole bolts and cleaning the battery poles from dirt or adhering crust.
This is useful for removing obstacles and preventing short circuits in your car’s electrical system. Also check the battery water level. If not enough, just add pure battery water. But remember, avoid filling the battery with zuur water (H2S04) so that the quality of the car battery is maintained.
Air filter and Tire
The next check is in the air filter or air filter section. Air filter is serves to provide clean air to be sprayed in the combustion chamber. Therefore it is better to clean it before going on a long trip. The use of air filters is based on the mileage, which is around 10,000 km.
Who always forgets to check the car on the tires. Remember Friends, tires have an important and crucial role. If it is not checked, it can endanger you and the people in the car.
Therefore, always maintain the condition of your car tires by checking the pressure, seeing if the tires are still roadworthy or not and doing spooring and balancing.
Car Lamp
The next check is to make sure the condition of the car lights are functioning properly. If a lamp is out, it should be replaced immediately. Check the car’s headlights, reverse lights, brake lights and of course turning lights.
Wippers
Checking the car on the last exterior is to make sure the wipers are functioning properly. Make sure the windshield wipers can function normally. If you still have doubts about the correct inspection method, you should take the car to an authorized repair shop or a regular automotive repair shop.
Car air conditioning check
Checking the car that is no less important is making sure the car’s cooling machine or air conditioner is functioning properly. Once again, the year-end holidays do enter the rainy season period, but that doesn’t mean that the car’s cooling machine is an unimportant car component during your vacation.
Be careful if you are stuck in a long traffic jam, and by chance the weather is hot. Of course you don’t want to overheat because you forgot to check the car in the AC section, right?
First aid kit car
So besides checking the car, there’s something else you should check, namely the completeness of the safety box in the car. Maybe you feel that an emergency kit box is always available in the car since you bought a car.
However, that doesn’t mean you don’t check it. An emergency kit box is important to have when you are traveling long distances because you never know what will happen on the way.
Check the completeness of the car jack
Don’t travel far without a jack in the trunk of a car. This is a car check that should not go unnoticed. The reason is, you never know what emergencies will happen on the way.
Is the car tire flat due to a leak or explosion which requires you to immediately replace it with a spare car tire.